Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise crash, Sep 21, 1995, Smyrna-Ruth...
Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise accident on September 21, 1995 near Smyrna-Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States with no fatalities. Cause: The pilot...
- Date: September 21, 1995
- Aircraft: Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise
- Location: Smyrna-Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: The pilot failed to maintain a proper climb rate after takeoff and entered a descending spiral that he did not correct. Darkness and spatial disorientation while attempting to obtain an IFR clearance were contributing factors.
A Mitsubishi MU-2B-35 positioning flight departed Smyrna in darkness and entered a right turn at low altitude. The aircraft stopped climbing, began to descend and struck trees and then the ground. The pilot and a passenger were seriously injured and neither remembered the flight. Examination found no pre-impact failure, and the autopilot was found switched off.