Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 accident near New Castle, Colorado, March 5, 1992
On March 5, 1992 at about 5:02 pm local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, registered N303CA, was destroyed in an accident near New Castle, Colorado (Garfield County Regional). It was a personal 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
AN INADVERTENT STALL DURING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH WITH THE AUTOPILOT ENGAGED. A FACTOR WAS: THE PILOT'S PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT FROM A PRESCRIPTION DRUG.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 1992 · about 5:02 pm local time
- Place
- New Castle, Colorado · Garfield County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 · all MU-2B-60s on the register
- Registration
- N303CA · registry record · serial 1516 S.A.
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 10.5 DME FROM THE AIRPORT WHILE EXECUTING A LOC-DME INSTRUMENT APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE WAS CONFIGURED FOR LANDING. THE ELEVATOR TRIM JACKSCREW WAS APPROXIMATELY 18 DEGREES NOSE UP. THE ALTITUDE PRESELECT, COUPLED TO THE SPERRY AUTOPILOT SYSTEM, WAS SET AT 9,500 FEET. MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE UNTIL REACHING THE FINAL APPROACH FIX IS 9,500 FEET. FINAL APPROACH FIX IS LOCATED AT 9.3 DME. TWENTY FOUR PRESCRIPTION AND NONPRESCRIPTION DRUGS WERE FOUND ABOARD THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT'S TOXICOLOGY REPORT DISCLOSED 0.206 (UG/ML, UG/G) CHLORPHENIRAMINE, AN ANTIHISTAMINE, IN HIS LIVER FLUID. ACCORDING TO AN FAA FLIGHT SURGEON, THIS WOULD EQUATE TO APPROXIMATELY .034 UG/ML IN BLOOD. THERAPEUTIC DOSAGE IS .01 TO .04 UG/ML. THE DRUG IS CONTRAINDICATED FOR FLYING DUE TO ITS CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING DROWSINESS. CHLORPHENIRAMINE IS AN INGREDIENT FOUND IN COMTREX, ONE OF THE DRUGS FOUND ABOARD THE AIRPLANE.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,265 hours in all; 154 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,575 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-10-511 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FWS Fort Worth TX
- Destination: RIL Rifle CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,700 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 pm from RIL, 11 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.