Piper PA-46 (Malibu/Meridian/Mira... crash, Jan 3, 2011 (2 killed)
Piper PA-46 (Malibu/Meridian/Mirage/Matrix/M-Class) accident on January 3, 2011 near Kumamoto, Kyūshū, Japan with 2 fatalities. Cause: The aircraft hit...
- Date: January 3, 2011
- Aircraft: Piper PA-46 (Malibu/Meridian/Mirage/Matrix/M-Class)
- Location: Kumamoto, Kyūshū, Japan
- Fatalities: 2
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: The aircraft hit the mountain slope during an in-cloud climb after takeoff with a low climb rate. The pilot's limited familiarity with terrain near Kumamoto may have contributed, but the JTSB could not determine the reason.
A privately flown Piper PA-46 Malibu took off from Kumamoto for Kitakyushu on a VFR flight. About three minutes after takeoff, while climbing in cloud at a low rate, it struck trees on the southeast slope of Mount Yago about 14 km northeast of the airport. The wreckage was found the next day and both occupants, the pilot and a passenger, were killed. The JTSB could not establish why the pilot continued in cloud toward the terrain.