Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, March 12, 1999
On March 12, 1999 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-20, registered N176BJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee (Mc Ghee Tyson airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the landing gear to extend for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 1999 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Knoxville, Tennessee · Mc Ghee Tyson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 · all MU-2B-20s on the register
- Registration
- N176BJ · registry record · serial 144
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 30 minutes into the flight, the right engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. The pilot secured the right engine and feathered the right propeller. Shortly after attempting to restart the right engine, the pilot said he also experienced a complete loss of electrical power, and was unable to use his radios. The pilot said he placed the landing gear lever in the down position, and established an approach to runway 5R for an emergency landing. The airplane touched down and skidded off the left side of the runway. Examination of the airplane and the engine assemblies failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or component failure. During the extensive airplane examination the electrical system was also functionally checked; the examination failed to disclose any mechanical problems. When the master switch was placed in the on position 75% of the battery power was restored to the airplane. The electrical power source was sufficient to activate the landing gear doors. During the examination of the fuel system, fuel was traced from the fuel tank to the fuel control unit. There was no mechanical problems discovered with the right fuel shut-off valve; the right fuel shut-off valve functioned normally.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,811 hours in all; 104 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 3,811 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,589 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 15, 1999; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,920 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett 331-1-151 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TYS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5R, 9,008 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:40 pm from TYS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL99LA054.