The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s final report of the March 2016 crash of a U.S-registered MU2 at Îles-de-la-Madeleine Airport (CYGR), Quebec, points to a pilot who let the aircraft get way ahead of him. Plagued by a high workload and unable to manage the aircraft’s energy state, the approach became unstable and the pilot eventually lost control of the airplane. Just a few hundred feet above the ground, the pilot added full power inducing an upset that caused the aircraft to enter a severe right roll. At no time during the approach did the pilot ever attempt a missed approach. Seven people, including the pilot, perished in the accident.
Canada’s TSB Points to Unstable Approach in MU2 Accident
Key Takeaways:
- The March 2016 MU2 crash, which killed seven, was attributed to the pilot's inability to manage a high workload and an unstable approach, leading to loss of control without attempting a missed approach.
- The pilot, while ATP-rated, lacked sufficient proficiency and recent experience in the high-performance MU2, evidenced by critical procedural omissions and poor energy state management during the descent and approach.
- Key issues included delayed descents, exceeding speed and altitude limits at waypoints, ignoring weather minimums, skipping checklists, and a late, aggressive power adjustment near stall speed that induced a fatal upset.
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