Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 accident near Lewiston, Idaho, February 11, 2000
On February 11, 2000 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, registered N152BK, was destroyed in an accident near Lewiston, Idaho (Lewiston Nez Perce County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot failed to follow the flight manual procedures and did not engage the Continuous Ignition system resulting in both engines flaming out when the air induction system was blocked with ice. Additional factors to the accident included the hilly terrain, the icing conditions, and the operator not complying with a Service Bulletin for the installation of an auto-ignition system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 2000 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lewiston, Idaho · Lewiston Nez Perce County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 · all MU-2B-60s on the register
- Registration
- N152BK · no longer on the register · serial 1537SA
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a ridgeline about 1.5 miles from the runway and approximately 7 to 14 seconds after the pilot reported a dual engine flameout. The airplane's altitude was about 400 feet agl when the pilot reported the flameout. The inspection of the airplane revealed no pre-existing anomalies. Icing conditions were forecast and PIREPS indicated that light to moderate rime/mixed icing conditions existed along the route of flight. The Continuous Ignition switches were found in the OFF position. The Approach procedures listed in the Airplane's Flight Manual stated, 'CONTINUOUS IGNITION SHALL BE SELECTED TO ON DURING APPROACH AND LANDING WHILE IN OR SHORTLY FOLLOWING FLIGHT IN ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL ICING CONDITIONS.' The aircraft manufacturer had issued a Service Bulletin in 1995 for the installation of an auto-ignition system to '... reduce the possibility of engine flame-out when icing conditions are encountered and the continuous ignition is not selected.' The operator had not installed the non-mandatory service bulletin. On May 5, 2000, the FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive that required the installation of an auto-ignition system. The toxicology test detected extremely high levels of dihydrocodeine in the pilot's blood. The pilot received a special issuance second-class medical certificate on August 22, 1995, after receiving treatment for a self disclosed history of drug abuse. The drug testing that this pilot underwent as a consequence of his previous self disclosed history of drug abuse would not have detected these substances.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,100 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 321 in the last 90 days; 76 in the last 30 days; 16,600 as pilot in command; 120 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,460 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 10, 2000; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,575 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-10 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 3:23 pm
- Destination: LEW
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 32 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from LEW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.