Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Missing
Friday, December 9, 1988 7:21 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A FLT AT NIGHT FROM MAJURO, MARSHALL ISLANDS TO CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA, THE PLT REQUESTED A DSCNT FROM FL 190 TO 12,000 TO REMOVE ICE FROM THE AIRFRAME. LATER, HE REQUESTED A CLIMB TO FL 200. AFTER STARTING THE CLIMB, HE MADE A MAYDAY CALL TO SIDNEY FLT SERVICE & RPRTD THE ACFT WAS IN AN UNCTLD DSCNT. NO FURTHER TRANSMISSION WAS RCVD FROM THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE CRASHED AT SEA, ABOUT 370 MI ENE OF CAIRNS. NEITHER THE ACFT NOR THE PLT WAS FND. THUNDERSTORMS WERE RPRTD IN THE AREA & THE PLT RPRTD BEING IN THE CLOUDS DURING AN EARLIER DSCNT TO 12,000'. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT WAS BEING FERRIED FM TULSA, OK. A PREVIOUS PLT, WHO FLEW IT TO OAKLAND, REFUSED TO CONT THE FLT DUE TO A CABIN PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM. A 2ND PLT, WHO WAS GOING TO CONT THE FLT, RTRND TO OAKLAND & LNDD THE ACFT IN AN OVER WT COND, WHICH RESULTED IN STRUCTURAL DMG. A 3RD PLT CONTD THE FLT, MAKING STOPS IN HAWAII & THE MARSHALL ISLANDS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/9/1988
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 721
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City MISSING
Event State PACIFIC OCEAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1821
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 12 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40878
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:21PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N296MA
NTSB Number DCA89LA012
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MITSUBISHI
Aircraft Model MU-2J
Aircraft Series Identifier MU-2J
Aircraft Serial Number 592
Certified Max Gross Weight 10800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AUTO SEARCH PTY LTD
Aircraft Owner Street Address 592 WICKHAM ST.
Aircraft Owner City CAIRNS
Aircraft Owner State OF
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOHN C. LARCOMBE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MAJU
Departure City MAJURO
Departure State MH
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City CAIRNS,AUSTRALI
Destination State OF
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Unknown
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --