Stapleton Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Denver, Colorado 80207
Sunday, October 12, 1986 10:51 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACFT HAD BEEN REPOSSESSED AND WAS BEING FERRIED FROM GRAND JUNCTION, CO, TO CHICAGO, IL, WITH EN ROUTE STOP AT DENVER, CO. AFTER TAKEOFF FROM DENVER, LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. PLT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO DENVER. PLT SAID THAT ON FINAL APCH THE RIGHT ENG BEGAN SURGING AND THE LEFT ENG WOULD NOT INCREASE PWR. ACFT MADE HARD LANDING ON RWY, BREAKING LEFT WING. INVESTIGATION REVEALED BOTH SPEED LEVERS WOULD NOT FUNCTION BECAUSE ENG PROP GOVERNORS AND UNDERSPEED FUEL GOVERNOR RESET ARMS, SPLINED ONTO UNDERSPEED FUEL GOVERNOR SHAFTS, WERE POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF SPEED LEVER ACTUATING ARMS. LANDING GEAR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY DURING SWING TESTS. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT RIGHT MAIN TIRE HAD BLOWN ON TAKEOFF 3 DAYS EARLIER AND REQUIRED REPAIR. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL OPENED THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO PRECLUDE INADVERTENT GEAR RETRACTION. PLT SAID HE CHECKED CIRCUIT BREAKERS WHEN GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/12/1986
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1051
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City DENVER
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80207
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport STAPLETON INT'L
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DEN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 5333
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1051 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID DEN
Elevation of weather observation facility 5333
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 0
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 4541
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2000
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 12 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 32535
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3MU
NTSB Number DEN87FA003
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MITSUBISHI
Aircraft Model MU-2B-20
Aircraft Series Identifier MU-2B-20
Aircraft Serial Number 143
Certified Max Gross Weight 9920
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 7
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jul 27 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 100
Airframe Hours 5780
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name E. MICHAEL RIEBOLD
Aircraft Owner Street Address 402 PETROLEUM BUILDING
Aircraft Owner City BILLINGS
Aircraft Owner State MT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 59101
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name GENE GARTKE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 5240 W. 63RD. STREET
Operator City CHICAGO
Operator State IL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 60638
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1051
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MDW
Destination City CHICAGO
Destination State IL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 10004
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --