Mitsubishi MU-2B-35 accident near Bartlett, Texas, June 3, 1986
On June 3, 1986 at about 2:42 am local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-35, registered N8CC, was destroyed in an accident near Bartlett, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- June 3, 1986 · about 2:42 am local time
- Place
- Bartlett, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-35 · all MU-2B-35s on the register
- Registration
- N8CC · registry record · serial 569
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 6 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, AT 2138:31 CDT, THE PLT RPRTD LEVEL AT 9000 FT MSL. AT 2140:17, HE TRANSMITTED THAT HE HAD TROUBLE & SAID HE COULD NOT CONTROL OR DISCONNECT THE AUTOPILOT (A/P) WHICH WAS CAUSING THE ACFT TO DESCEND. AT 2141:14,HE STATED HE WAS DESCENDING AT 6000 FT/MIN. ANOTHER COMPANY PLT IN ANOTHER ACFT ASKED IF HE COULD FIND THE BREAKER, MEANING THE A/P CIRCUIT BREAKER. AT 2141:27, THE PLT OF N8CC REPLIED, 'CALL YOU BACK.' SECONDS LATER, RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WITH N8CC WERE LOST. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, BUT THE ACFT WAS NOT FND UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING. AN EXAM REVEALED THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN, INVERTED ATTITUDE WHILE AT HIGH SPEED; MUCH OF THE WRECKAGE WAS BURIED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FND. WITH THE A/P ENGAGED, BACK PRESSURE ON THE CONTROL COLUMN WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE A/P TO TRIM NOSE DOWN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A PRECAUTIONARY ADVISORY TO ALL MU-2 OWNER/OPERATORS REGARDING PROPER OPERATION OF THE A/P AND THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH IT CAN BE DISENGAGED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,268 hours in all; 152 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 5,018 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,293 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 3, 1986; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,930 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE 331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Martinaire, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 2:30 am
- Destination: DFW D/Fw Airport TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft; not recorded at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:42 am from AUS, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 FTW86MA097.