Mitsubishi MU-300 accident near Gary, Indiana, February 23, 1990
On February 23, 1990 at about 12:06 pm local time, a Mitsubishi MU-300, registered N368PU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gary, Indiana (Gary airport). It was an executive or corporate 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
FAILURE OF SNOW REMOVAL PERSONNEL TO RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL HAZARD OF THE SNOW RIDGE ON THE RUNWAY AND COMMUNICATE THIS INFORMATION TO THE CONTROL TOWER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE RUNWAY/TERRAIN/LIGHT CONDITIONS, AND FAILURE OF AIRPORT MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL TO IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS CONDITION ON THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1990 · about 12:06 pm local time
- Place
- Gary, Indiana · Gary
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-300 · all MU-300s on the register
- Registration
- N368PU · no longer on the register · serial A-068SA
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT CREW BGN ARR AS SNW REMOVAL PSNL (SRP) WERE REMOVING SNW FM THE RWY (BFR DAYLIGHT & BFR THE TWR OPENED). THE ARPT MGR USED A LIGHT TO SIGNAL SRP TO CLR THE RWY. THE LCL TWR CTLR (LC), WHO WAS COMING ON DUTY, ESTABLISHED RADIO CTC WITH SRP TO ASSURE THE RWY WAS CLR. SRP INFORMED HIM THAT 50% OF THE RWY (NORTH OF THE CENTERLINE) WAS CLEARED OF SNW. THE LC RELAYED THE INFO TO THE FLT CREW & SUBSEQUENTLY CLRD THEM TO LND ON RWY 30. THE CAPT SAID HE LANDED ON THE CLRD PORTION OF THE RWY, BUT AVOIDED THE RGT EDGE 'WHERE SNOWBANKS COULD BE ASSUMED TO EXIST.' DRG THE LNDG ROLL, WITH THE LEFT WING EXTENDED OVER THE UNPLOWED PORTION OF THE RWY, THE OCCUPANTS FELT 'BUMPS' THAT THEY ATTRIBUTED TO ICE/SNOWON THE RWY. WHILE TAXIING OFF THE RWY, THE CAPT NOTICED THE LEFT WING HAD BEEN DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LEFT WING & FLAP HAD HIT A 1 TO 4 FT SNW RIDGE BETWEEN THE PLOWED & UNPLOWED PORTIONS OF THE RWY, WHICH WAS PARALLEL & ADJACENT TO THE RWY CENTERLINE.
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 instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,693 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 5,318 as pilot in command; 4,740 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,612 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 16, 1990; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,700 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAF W Lafayette IN at 11:36 am
- Destination: GYY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 020° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from GYY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CHI90LA088.