Mitsubishi MU 2B-40 accident near Chilton, Wisconsin, January 29, 2020
On January 29, 2020 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1980 Mitsubishi MU 2B-40, registered N425GZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Chilton, Wisconsin (Flying Feathers airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land on the turf runway with insufficient landing performance and his subsequent loss of control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2020 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chilton, Wisconsin · Flying Feathers · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU 2B-40, built 1980 · all MU 2B-40s on the register
- Registration
- N425GZ · no longer on the register · serial 425 S.A.
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the turbine-powered airplane on a 2,500-ft-long frozen, turf runway. The pilot reported to the manufacturer that, during the landing roll, the airplane yawed left and the right wing contacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would have resulted in a directional control issue. According to the pilot operating handbook, the airplane’s landing distance over a 50-ft for a dry, hard surface runway was about 2,500 ft. The manufacturer estimated that this distance for a wet or turf runway were about 4,250 ft. The pilot did not respond to requests for information regarding his flight planning or estimated landing distance. The pilot's decision to land on a runway that provided an inadequate distance likely resulted in an inability to maintain control of the airplane during the landing roll.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Decision related to condition
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Landing distance › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 21,000 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 14, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,723 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 9, 2019; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,500 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Honeywell TPE-33110511M (turboprop); 4,723 hours total
- Engine 2: Honeywell TPE-33110511M (turboprop); 4,723 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8D1 New Holstein WI
- Destination: 11Y Chilton WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,500 ft by 85 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KOSH, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on November 19, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Airport Information | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Landing Performance Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Initial FAA Examination of Airplane | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Examination of Propellers | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.