Will Not Ground Aircraft... Or Require A Type-Rating
For the third time in
the aircraft's much-maligned history, the Mitsubishi MU-2 has
received the conditional support of the Federal Aviation
Administration. On Thursday, the agency once again stated enhanced
training procedures are the answer to reducing accidents in the
speedy twin-turboprop.
The MU-2 is "a complex aircraft requiring operational techniques
not typically found in other light turboprop aircraft," the FAA
said in the safety proposal. "Fully understanding the system
complexity is much more critical during an emergency
situation."
"An MU-2B pilot is seven times more likely to lose control and
have a fatal accident during an emergency when compared to pilots
flying similar types of airplanes in similar situations," the
agency added.
Despite the harsh tone of those statements, the FAA's findings
state, in essence, there are no inherent problems with the MU-2B's
design that can't be solved through better pilot training.
"We don't believe there is a safety issue with the airplane
itself," said FAA spokesman Les Dorr Jr. "It meets its original
certification standards."
"We continue to believe that if pilots are properly trained to
fly this airplane, this airplane can be flown safely," Dorr added.
"We want to make sure the pilot training is standardized and
mandatory."
The agency stopped short of recommending a type-rating for the
aircraft -- something that the airplane's manufacturer has
supported.
The proposal comes after the FAA began an inquiry into two
Colorado accidents involving the MU-2B in less than nine months.
Both fatal accidents occurred in the vicinity of Denver's
Centennial Airport.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America spokesman Scott Sobel told
the Associated Press the company is all for telling operators to
stick to the manual when flying its aircraft.
"Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America supports the report's main
finding that MU-2 aircraft operators need to be trained according
to the manufacturer's flight manual procedures which have been in
place for decades to maintain safety standards," Sobel said.
Denver's CBS-4 reports the FAA also proposed reviewing
procedures at Centennial Airport, to insure those two accidents
weren't, in part, caused by problems with the airport's
navigational aids, or ATC and approach/departure procedures.
The FAA's proposal comes as little comfort to those who have
stated the only way to solve the MU-2's problems is to ground the
aircraft -- including Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo.
"Additional training
for pilots is helpful, but is not a sufficient solution given the
MU-2's crash statistics," Tancredo said in a statement quoted by
the Rocky Mountain News. "Grounding the aircraft remains the
optimum solution, but this is a good first step for the FAA, who,
like a recovering alcoholic, has taken the first step of admitting
that there is a problem."
Aero-News has reported extensively on several accidents
involving the controversial MU-2, including the most recent
accident that claimed the lives of two pilots in British Columbia
last December... which prompted Tancredo to renew his call
for the airplane to be grounded.