Mitsubishi MU2B-40 accident near Hayden, Colorado, February 4, 1982
On February 4, 1982, a Mitsubishi MU2B-40, registered N149JA, was destroyed in an accident near Hayden, Colorado (Yampa Valley airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 4, 1982
- Place
- Hayden, Colorado · Yampa Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU2B-40 · all MU2B-40s on the register
- Registration
- N149JA · registry record · serial 4025A
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS 20 FEET AGL DURING LANDING WHEN THE CREW HEARD A PROPELLER GO INTO BETA MODE AND THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IT COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BANK WHICH SEPARATED THE WINGS FROM THE FUSELAGE. IMPACT DAMAGE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL WHY THE PROPELLER WENT INTO BETA MODE.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,700 hours in all; 1,700 in this make and model; 127 in the last 90 days; 8,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,203 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 1,203 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,920 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE331-10-501 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ja Baldwin Mfg CO
The flight
- Departed from: Kearny at 4:34 pm
- Destination: Hayden CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 6,999 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 DEN82DA029.