Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 N941MA

Summary

On 30 November 2004 at about 11:08 local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 registered N941MA was involved in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 November 2004 at 11:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Philadelphia Int'l Airport (PHL)

Coordinates

39.8719, -75.2411

Aircraft

Mitsubishi MU-2B-60

Registration

N941MA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Philadelphia → Teterboro

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

NYC05LA025

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the ground controller to coordinate the runway crossing of a maintenance tug, with the local controller, which resulted in a ground collision with an MU-2 airplane during it's takeoff roll.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with a tug during takeoff. According to the pilot of the MU-2 airplane he was cleared to taxi from his parking spot on the northeast side of the airport, to runway 35, by the ground controller on duty. He then taxied to runway 35 via taxiway A, taxiway D, across runway 26, to taxiway K. Approximately 1 minute after the pilot of the MU-2 was cleared to taxi, the same ground controller cleared a maintenance tug towing an MD-80, to taxi from the same (northeast) ramp as the MU-2, to a ramp on the west side of runway 35. The taxi clearance issued by the ground controller included a clearance for the tug to cross runway 35. Once the MU-2 pilot arrived at the runway, he contacted the tower controller and was cleared for takeoff from runway 35. The pilot initiated a takeoff, and as the airplane reached an airspeed of 80 knots, the pilot observed an aircraft tug crossing the runway centerline. The pilot then aborted the takeoff, and maneuvered the airplane to the left side of the runway; however, the airplane contacted the tug at the intersection of runway 35 and taxiways "Golf" and "Echo." At the time of the accident, three full performance level air traffic controllers were working in the tower cab; a local controller (LCE), ground controller (GC), and clearance delivery controller. The LCE and GC positions were located next to each other in the northeast corner of the tower cab. FAA Air Traffic Control regulations required that a ground controller must obtain approval from a local controller before authorizing an aircraft or a vehicle to cross or use any portion of an active runway. Additionally, the standard operating procedures for the airport required all runway crossing authorization and runway crossing complete coordination to be accomplished via a recorded landline. Controller interviews and review of recorded voice communications revealed the ground controller did not coordinate the runway crossing of the maintenance tug with the local controller.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.