Mitsubishi MU-2B-26 accident near Southbridge, Massachusetts, July 11, 1985
On July 11, 1985 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-26, registered N727MA, was destroyed in an accident near Southbridge, Massachusetts (Southbridge airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1985 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Southbridge, Massachusetts · Southbridge
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-26 · all MU-2B-26s on the register
- Registration
- N727MA · registry record · serial 342
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING LNDG THE ACFT IMPACTED HARD AND SKIDDED DOWN THE RWY BEFORE IT WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL SEPARTED AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. BOTH PLTS STATED THE LNDG APCH WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE ACFT WAS APRX 15 FTABOVE THE RWY AT WHICH TIME THE ACFT ABRUPTLY DESCENDED AND IMPACTED HARD WITH THE RWY. PRIOR TO THE IMPACT, THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED WITH 20 DEGS OF FLAPS AND LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. THE AIRSPEED WAS 105 KTS. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT DISCLOSED THAT THE AFT MAIN GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN AND THE NOSE DOWN LOCK LIMIT SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. THE SWITCH IS REQUIRED TO CLOSE THE AFT MAIN GEAR DOOR. THE FLIGHT TEST BY THE MFG DETERMINED THAT OPENED AFT MAIN GEAR DOOR HAS NONE TO UNNOTICIABLE EFFECT ON STALL SPEED. ACFT SPEED AT TOUCHDOWN BASED ON COMPUTATIONS FROM PROP SLASH MARKS WAS 86 KTS. THE STALL SPEED OF ACFT AT PREVAILING WEIGHT & FLAPS CONFIGURATION IS BELOW THIS SPEED, THE ACFT WEIGHT WAS APRX 9000 LBS.
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: 6,615 hours in all; 1,006 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 6,503 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,958 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 31, 1985; 945 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,470 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-331-6-252 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MHT Manchester NH at 8:40 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 2, 3,500 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from ORH, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.