Mitsubishi MU-2B-25 accident near Hayden, Colorado, September 12, 1982
On September 12, 1982 at about 7:28 pm local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-25, registered N66U, was destroyed in an accident near Hayden, Colorado (Yampa Valley airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1982 · about 7:28 pm local time
- Place
- Hayden, Colorado · Yampa Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-25 · all MU-2B-25s on the register
- Registration
- N66U · no longer on the register · serial 309
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A MAINT SUPERVISOR & 2 PLTS NOTED THAT THE L ENG DID NOT RESPOND NORMALLY WHILE BEING STARTED. AFT STARTING, THE PLT TAXIED TO RWY 10 FOR AN IFR DEPARTURE. SINCE THE TWY DID NOT EXTEND TO THE END OF THE RWY, THE PLT OF ANOTHER ACFT WAITED ON THE TWY, JUST SHORT OF THE RWY, APRX 2967 FT FROM THE END. HE OBSD SMOKE COMING FROM THE L ENG OF THE MU-2 & REPORTED THIS INFO ON THE UNICOM FREQ. HE REPORTED THAT THE MU-2 CONTD & ROTATED FOR TKOF APRX 200 TO 250 YDS EAST OF HIS PSN. RPRTDLY, THE ACFT CLIMBED TO APRX 300-400 FT AFL, THEN TURNED LEFT TWD HIGHER TERRAIN. AFTER TURNING, IT ENTER WHAT 2 WITNESSES DESCRIBED AS A VMC ROLL, THEN CRASHED & BURNED. AN EXAM OF THE AIRFRAME REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURES. A TEARDOWN OF THE L ENG REVEALED THAT A TURBINE BEARING, PN 3101092-1, HAD BEEN MISALIGNED & SUBSEQUENTLY BEGAN TO FAIL, DAMAGING THE 2ND & 3RD STAGES OF THE TURBINE SECTION. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 6597 FT. THE COMPUTED TKOF ROLL WAS 1620 FT & THE COMPUTED ACCELERATE-STOP DISTANCE WAS 3100 FT. THE LNDG GEAR & SEL, FND IN DWN PSN.
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, military, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,451 hours in all; 833 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 2,451 as pilot in command; 1,027 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,493 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,930 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-6-252 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Pat Griffin Company
The flight
- Departed from: 3V5 Fort Collins CO at 8:30 am
- Destination: 3V5 Fort Collins CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 6,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 135°F (57°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from EGE, 53 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.