December 10, 2004, Englewood, Colo. / Mitsubishi MU-2B-60

The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near the Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colo. Night visual conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, which occurred at approximately 1940 Mountain time. The Part 135, IFR flight was en route to Salt Lake City, Utah. The Airline Transport-rated pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. According to witnesses and preliminary ATC communications, the airplane departed Runway 35R and executed a climbing left turn to a heading of 280 degrees. During the initial climb, the pilot told ATC he had a problem, was shutting down an engine and needed to return to the airport. Witnesses observed the airplane e...

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Key Takeaways:

  • An airplane crashed near Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado, resulting in the fatal injuries of both the pilot and a passenger.
  • Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported an engine problem and declared an emergency, attempting to return to the airport during a night flight.
  • The aircraft was observed making turns for an emergency landing before its landing lights pointed straight down and it disappeared from ATC's view, impacting terrain.
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The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near the Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colo. Night visual conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, which occurred at approximately 1940 Mountain time. The Part 135, IFR flight was en route to Salt Lake City, Utah. The Airline Transport-rated pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. According to witnesses and preliminary ATC communications, the airplane departed Runway 35R and executed a climbing left turn to a heading of 280 degrees. During the initial climb, the pilot told ATC he had a problem, was shutting down an engine and needed to return to the airport. Witnesses observed the airplane execute a left turn for a base leg to Runway 35R. The airplane continued past the Runway 35R centerline and then executed a left turn toward Runway 35R. Shortly after the airplane turned toward Runway 35R, ATC observed the airplanes landing lights point straight down, and the airplane then disappeared from the controllers view.

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