Mitsubishi MU-300 accident near Cleveland, Ohio, February 11, 2002
On February 11, 2002 at about 4:02 am local time, a Mitsubishi MU-300, registered N541CW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cuyahoga County Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touch down point on the runway, and the pilot-in-commands failure to initiate a go-round. Factors in the accident were the tailwind condition, the snow-covered runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 2002 · about 4:02 am local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cuyahoga County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-300 · all MU-300s on the register
- Registration
- N541CW · registry record · serial SA-004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the airplane was descending to the airport, theoilot-in-command (PIC) calculated that the required distance to land on a dry runway would be 2,720 feet. The second-in-command (SIC) stated to the PIC, "all right if I touch down and there's no brakes I'm going around." The ILS Runway 23 approach was in use, and the braking action was reported "poor" by a Hawker Jet, which had landed prior to the accident flight. All runway surfaces were covered with a thin layer of snow. The airplane touched down with about 2,233 feet of runway remaining, of the 5,101-foot long runway. The airplane departed the end of the runway, and proceeded into an overrun grassy area, where the nose landing gear assembly collapsed. The tower controller advised the flightcrew prior to landing that the wind conditions were from 330 degrees at 18 knots. According to the airplane's Pilot's Operating Manual, the estimated landing distance on a dry runway, for the conditions at the time of the accident, was about 2,750 feet. No charts were available in the FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual, to compute a landing distance incorporating a contaminated runway. Review of 14 CFR Part 25.1, which prescribed airworthiness standards for the issue of type certificates, and changes to those certificates, for transport category airplanes, revealed, "For landplanes and amphibians, the landing distance on land must be determined on a level, smooth, dry, hard-surfaced runway." There were no requirements for the applicant to determine landing distances on a wet or contaminated runway. The latest weather recorded at the airport, included winds from 330 degrees at 12 knots, gusts to 22 knots; visibility 3/4 statute mile, light snow; and overcast clouds at 300 feet.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,478 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 11,200 as pilot in command; 2,400 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 26, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,899 hours in all; 326 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 24, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,457 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 16, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 15,500 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JT 15D-4D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JT 15D-4D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Chicago IL at 2:52 am
- Destination: CGF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 5,101 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 330° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 am from CGF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 NYC02FA059.