Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 N800BY accident near Picayune, Mississippi

Probable cause

The pilot's excessive rate of descent during the landing flare/touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, the wind was calm at the time of the accident. The airplane entered the traffic pattern on a left base leg at 120 knots with the landing gear extended and flaps extended to 20 degrees. The pilot turned the airplane onto final approach, and when the runway was assured, extended the flaps to 40 degrees and confirmed the landing gear were down and locked. Upon landing, the airplane suddenly pitched nose down, and the pilot realized there was a discrepancy with the nose landing gear. He applied full thrust reverse, stopped, and secured the airplane on the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear was collapsed, the left main landing gear tire was separated from the wheel, and the wheel assembly was separated from the landing gear. Wrinkles in the fuselage skin near the forward pressure bulkhead were noted on both sides of the airplane. Additionally, the left and right upper and lower wing spars were distorted, and the fuel tanks at the wingtips were dislodged and loose from their mountings, consistent with substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane, but the damage was consistent with a hard landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA128 for the full record.