Witnesses Say Engine Failed After Takeoff

The much-maligned Mitsubishi MU-2 was involved in another fatal accident this weekend... this one in Fort Pierce, FL.

Witnesses report the plane (file photos of type, right and below) flew in to St Lucie International airport Sunday morning to drop off passengers and refuel... but when the plane took off again early Sunday afternoon, it experienced engine trouble and crashed in a wooded area.

Pilot Stephen Hodges, 57, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was killed in the impact, and subsequent fire. He was the only person onboard the aircraft.

"If you could see how that plane turned and bellied..." said witness Robert Ballard, who told the Treasure Coast Palm he and his brother were on their way to go fishing when they saw the plane descend, apparently with only one engine operating. The brothers believe the pilot was trying to return to the airport when the MU-2 crashed.

Hodges was on his way to Murfreesboro, TN when the plane went down. Investigators from the FAA and NTSB are now looking for signs of what may have happened.

Before this latest accident, the MU-2 -- a fast turboprop twin, that is popular with freight haulers and small charter outfits for its speed and relatively inexpensive maintenance costs -- has been involved in 80 fatal accidents. That's about one out of every 10 planes in the worldwide MU-2 fleet, according to the most recent data available from the NTSB.

As Aero-News has reported, the MU-2 has been investigated by the FAA three times. Each time, the agency stated the plane is not inherently unsafe... but added MU-2 pilots should receive specialized training, especially in the area of the aircraft's low-speed flight characteristics.

The FAA has also stopped short of requiring a type-rating on the MU-2.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov