Amateur-built MITCHELL U2 accident near Jean, Nevada, February 5, 2000
On February 5, 2000 at about 11:25 pm local time, a amateur-built MITCHELL U2, registered N3249Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jean, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 2000 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- Jean, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MITCHELL U2 MITCHELL U
- Registration
- N3249Z · no longer on the register · serial U520
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner flew the airplane to the dry lake where the accident occurred and conducted a series of introductory flights for the pilot, who had indicated an interest in purchasing the airplane. He said he spent some time instructing the pilot on the characteristics of the single seat, delta winged airplane to include taxiing, takeoffs, and landings. The pilot flew the airplane twice, the first time for about 1 hour and the second also for 1 hour, which culminated in the accident. When the airplane did not return to his location after being gone for an hour or so, the owner became concerned and took another airplane to look for it. He spotted the wreckage, landed, and went to the pilot's assistance. While waiting for medical help, the pilot told the owner that he had inadvertently let it get slow, stalled it, and the airplane inadvertently entered a spin. The pilot said he had almost recovered from the spin but ran out of altitude and hit the ground. According to the owner, the pilot said there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. The owner reported that the fuel tanks contained fuel at the crash site. He said he constructed the airplane in 1983 and has flown it about 265 hours. There were no known discrepancies prior to the accident. FAA inspectors and police pilots from the Las Vegas Metro Police department examined the airplane and reported there were no obvious mechanical discrepancies.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 450 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 265 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 3, 2000; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 550 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kfm 107 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 153°F (67°C), dew point 90°F (32°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from LAS, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
