Thunder Airlines MU2 accident in Wawa

[TC.Enforcement]

Multiple news outlets are reporting an MU2 in Wawa was destroyed upon landing at 0740local time. No injuries reported, and TSB is enroute. Runway remains closed.

This marks the 4th incident/accident in just over 2 years.

On Aug 6 2021 a King Air landing YMO overran the runway

On Apr 11 2022 a king air landing in YTS suffered a gear collapse

On Aug 10 2023 a King Air landing in YMO departed the side of the runway

https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/no-i ... -1.6662770

[rookiepilot]

I realize I am the amateur here compared to the highly experienced pros who have done it all — in my humble OP Wawa is not a nice place, esp in the winter.

Enough terrain all around to make the arrival a turbulent adventure, choose a slightly uphill runway but often with a tailwind, or a steeper approach the other way to a downslope runway. (I chose the tailwind— in daylight, and rock and roll it was), add proximity to the big lake making ice like a machine.

Now add darkness, snow covered, and a hot twin with a high approach speed….not fun. Ugh. Way over my level.

[Bingo Fuel]

Anyone know the registration of the plane involved?

[Pratt X 3]

According to FlightAware, it was C-GYUA.

[karmutzen]

The MU2 can land in very short distances. Flaps 40 approach over the fence at 90 knots, touch down at 80 knots, immediate full reverse, brakes, will yield well under 1000 ft, maybe 700 ft. Landing is never the problem in an MU2, you can always land shorter than you can takeoff. Wawa is 4500' and 100' wide. Walk in the park.

Sunrise at 8, should have been plenty of light at 7:40. Runway lights, PAPI. Runway was snow covered, but most in Canada are this time of year. Light snow, wind west at 10.

What does that leave us?

[rookiepilot]

The MU2 can land in very short distances. Flaps 40 approach over the fence at 90 knots, touch down at 80 knots, immediate full reverse, brakes, will yield well under 1000 ft, maybe 700 ft. Landing is never the problem in an MU2, you can always land shorter than you can takeoff. Wawa is 4500' and 100' wide. Walk in the park.

Sunrise at 8, should have been plenty of light at 7:40. Runway lights, PAPI. Runway was snow covered, but most in Canada are this time of year. Light snow, wind west at 10.

What does that leave us?

I misread it. Thought 740 Pm.

That is impressively short for that aircraft. Wow.

[TC.Enforcement]

The MU2 can land in very short distances. Flaps 40 approach over the fence at 90 knots, touch down at 80 knots, immediate full reverse, brakes, will yield well under 1000 ft, maybe 700 ft. Landing is never the problem in an MU2, you can always land shorter than you can takeoff. Wawa is 4500' and 100' wide. Walk in the park.

Sunrise at 8, should have been plenty of light at 7:40. Runway lights, PAPI. Runway was snow covered, but most in Canada are this time of year. Light snow, wind west at 10.

What does that leave us?

Flaps 40 landings in the MU2 are not an approved setting for landing at Thunder, at least according to their SOP’s. Ref is typically around 105 knots with flaps 20. Either way, Wawa is a sufficiently long runway to land on for the MU2 and then some. Not sure if the went off the end or the side. I won’t speculate on what happened, but 1,500-2,000 feet rollout is more typical with a flaps 20 landing.

[Bingo Fuel]

The MU-2 can definitely perform. Agreed with the above poster that 1500-2000 ft is definitely achievable with Flap 20 with the Vref of 105.

The MU-2 can easily land on YTZ runway 26 and exit on taxiway F.

[karmutzen]

Why close the airport for two days of investigation? No injuries, one more ball of tin bulldozed to the side, I mean WGF?

The operator can do his own internal investigation, but why deprive Wawa of their air connections over this?

[rookiepilot]

IMG_0012.png (142.6 KiB) Viewed 6044 times

If they did rwy 21 its a fairly steep approach due to terrain, high minimums, and there is a 700 ft displacement

[DHC3Rwannafly]

IMG_0012.png

If they did rwy 21 its a fairly steep approach due to terrain, high minimums, and there is a 700 ft displacement

They didnèt, they were cleared for the RNAV 03 (Live ATC)

[Bacunayagua]

IMG_0012.png

If they did rwy 21 its a fairly steep approach due to terrain, high minimums, and there is a 700 ft displacement

Whats so steep about this approach? Looking at the plate altitudes you can make it quite shallow actually.

[Roar]

IMG_0012.png

If they did rwy 21 its a fairly steep approach due to terrain, high minimums, and there is a 700 ft displacement

Whats so steep about this approach? Looking at the plate altitudes you can make it quite shallow actually.

Well at KEBGA you’re at 2080’ which is 2.7 NM from the MAP (threshold of runway) and the TDZE is 940’.
So in 2.9NM (2.7nm +the 1000’ down the runway TDZ) you have 1140’ to lose. 1149’/2.9nm= 393’/nm descent.
People seem to be saying approach speeds on the Mu-2 are 105kts so that’s 1.75nm/minute. So 3.93x1.75x100=687fpm call it 700fpm from KEBGA until touchdown with a 20 degree turn to align with the runway.
It certainly isn’t Aspen steep but it’s reasonably steep and definitely not “quite shallow”.

[rookiepilot]

If wind was out of the west as was said, and they took 03, implies a tailwind.

With contamination, wonder what that does for an MU2’s numbers. Guess depends on the RSC.

[fish4life]

If wind was out of the west as was said, and they took 03, implies a tailwind.

With contamination, wonder what that does for an MU2’s numbers. Guess depends on the RSC.

I’d imagine MU2’s would be similar to most other turboprops and on a runway the length of Wawa you wouldn’t need the brakes really

[DanWEC]

I’d imagine MU2’s would be similar to most other turboprops and on a runway the length of Wawa you wouldn’t need the brakes really

Unless there was a swap in the last while, YUA had the 5 blade composites as well, which hauled on reverse like it has a tailhook. It's not a great place overall but length isn't an issue at all. News report did say "snow covered", so who knows what else happened. Really glad they're all OK.

[TheTurdBurglar]

I’d imagine MU2’s would be similar to most other turboprops and on a runway the length of Wawa you wouldn’t need the brakes really

Unless there was a swap in the last while, YUA had the 5 blade composites as well, which hauled on reverse like it has a tailhook. It's not a great place overall but length isn't an issue at all. News report did say "snow covered", so who knows what else happened. Really glad they're all OK.

The 5 blades were taken off at least two years ago from what I remember. At some point, they made it on to GDC, but were then removed from that tail as well because, according to maintenance, they were too expensive to maintain and not worth keeping on.

[DanWEC]

I’d imagine MU2’s would be similar to most other turboprops and on a runway the length of Wawa you wouldn’t need the brakes really

Unless there was a swap in the last while, YUA had the 5 blade composites as well, which hauled on reverse like it has a tailhook. It's not a great place overall but length isn't an issue at all. News report did say "snow covered", so who knows what else happened. Really glad they're all OK.

The 5 blades were taken off at least two years ago from what I remember. At some point, they made it on to GDC, but were then removed from that tail as well because, according to maintenance, they were too expensive to maintain and not worth keeping on.

Ah, thanks. Too bad, made for a slick looking bird!

[lownslow]

The most likely way to write off an airplane in that part of the world at this time of year is a runway excursion. It would be borderline difficult to run it off the end so my best guess is it went off the side for any of a number of reasons unrelated to the type.

[Ozinater]

IIRC any runway >= 3000’ is fair game at Thunder but SOP does not permit flap 40 landings in the MU2. Even though F40 would shorten your landing distance you have quite a bit more drag to contend with, and not much extra energy for late stages of the approach and flare.

Even landing with flap 20 the MU2 can do 2000’ or less without much difficulty. The article mentions the runway was “snow-covered” so that may have also been a factor not only with landing distance but also with directional control. The MU2 sits quite low to the ground compared to other similarly sized turboprops.

This somewhat resembles another accident in Armstrong years ago involving another MU2. Not a lot of details but from what I can recall it was night, the runway was contaminated and the snow was quite a bit deeper than anticipated, and the plane was written off after the accident.

Narrative: UPDATE TSB Occurrence No. A10C0206: Thunder 855, a Mitsubishi MU-2 registration C-GAMC was a medevac flight en route from Geraldton to Armstrong Ontario. Earlier in the day the crew checked a NOTAM for Armstrong which indicated that the runway was 100% snow covered, but that snow removal was in progress. Believing that the runway would be clear upon their arrival, the crew conducted a night VFR approach with precision approach path indicator (PAPI) guidance to runway 30. When the aircraft touched down the left main wheel dug into the snow covered surface of runway 30 and veered off to the left eventually departing the runway surface. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its fuselage, right wing and right propeller. The runway had not been plowed. After the accident, Nav Canada personnel were unable to contact airport operations personnel, and issued a NOTAM to close the airport.

[MOAB]

Was the CFRI within limits at the time? Or is that even applicable in Wawa?

[Minimums]

Not sure crfi’s are reported here.

[cdnavater]

Edited, no information to add

[oldncold]

Note to all you new captn out there: . Municipal airport s are not like rez airports. They dont get plowed on weekend s or holidays:wawa The runway likely had frezing rain then ice pellets and snow over top. You must contact the airport mgr.at any municipal. Before accepting a trip especially on weekend s and before a noon arrival on a monday after a winter snow ice event . I remember cancelling many trips in vfr weather after a snowstorm because. Nobody around to verify runway. Got shit from ops but no bent aluminium

[TheTurdBurglar]

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