Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 incident near Walterboro, South Carolina, January 16, 2011
On January 16, 2011 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-20, registered N52CD, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Walterboro, South Carolina (Lowcounty Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
The inadequate inspection and rigging of the nose landing gear downlock mechanism by maintenance personnel, which resulted in the failure of a bolt and the subsequent collapse of the nose gear during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 2011 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Walterboro, South Carolina · Lowcounty Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 · all MU-2B-20s on the register
- Registration
- N52CD · no longer on the register · serial 174
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported hearing a “pop” sound from the nose gear area when the gear was extended for the landing. Toward the end of the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the nose gear revealed that the bolt that holds the downlock drag brace joint link to the airframe structure had fractured. A metallurgical examination revealed that the bolt failed in reverse bending fatigue, which is associated with the bolt having insufficient clamping pressure (looseness). The airplane’s last required inspection was about 70 flight hours and 40 gear cycles before the nose gear collapsing, and the nose gear downlock system rigging should have been inspected at that time.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,190 hours in all; 425 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2,150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,125 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 14, 2010; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,920 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Airesearch TPE331 SERIES (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Airesearch TPE331 SERIES (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EDE Edenton NC at 6:30 pm
- Destination: RBW Watertown SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 6,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from RBW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| 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 ERA11IA172.