Mitsu MU-2 Down in Tulsa - Sen. Inhofe's Son Aboard?

Oh wow, I had no idea he was an orthodontic surgeon, in fact the place where he worked sponsors my old High Schools football field. Apparently had his CFI too, wonder what happened? RIP, odd when this happens so close to home. :(
 
The post-crash fire would appear to eliminate fuel exhaustion, but not an inadvertent fuel selector error. There was a news report that he declared some kind of emergency or problem shortly before he crashed.

This being Inhofe's son, I expect that the NTSB and FAA will take a long time investigating this one. I doubt the prelim will be available for at least a month.

RIP.
 
tomokc said:
The post-crash fire would appear to eliminate fuel exhaustion, but not an inadvertent fuel selector error.
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Pretty hard to run a Mitsi out of gas unless there isn't any.

edit: I mean I suppose I can conceive of someone new to the type with NO training maybe fueling the tips and then not transferring from them to the mains. But you'd have to have like not even cracked the POH to make that mistake, I'd think.
 
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Boris Badenov said:
Pretty hard to run a Mitsi out of gas unless there isn't any.

edit: I mean I suppose I can conceive of someone new to the type with NO training maybe fueling the tips and then not transferring from them to the mains. But you'd have to have like not even cracked the POH to make that mistake, I'd think.
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If that happened and you had a flame out, how long to get everything running again?


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scooter2525 said:
Ahhh is that how that works.

Between drift down, engines start etc.


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I'm not sure how long it would take to get fuel to the correct place in the mu2, but the TPE restart takes all of about 5 seconds if it's windmilling. The relight procedure for the Commander was simply engine control switch to air-start and ignition override on.
 
z987k said:
I'm not sure how long it would take to get fuel to the correct place in the mu2, but the TPE restart takes all of about 5 seconds if it's windmilling. The relight procedure for the Commander was simply engine control switch to air-start and ignition override on.
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God bless single shaft turbines.
 
scooter2525 said:
If that happened and you had a flame out, how long to get everything running again?


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Hmm, no idea. IMS, the transfer is run by bleed air pressurization of the tips, so maybe never(???!!!) Not sure, it's been like 5 years.

Going from memory, there are two great big red dusty switches for the mains, which amount to fuel shutoffs because you're never going to turn them off for any other reason. Then there are switches to feed from the tips to mains, or on the marquise either the tips or the mid-wing tanks to the mains. Separate guages for the tips and mains, and I believe there was some sort of restriction on the mains needing to be x amount empty (like 30-40%, maybe?) before you can transfer from the tips, as otherwise they're liable to transfer unevenly and you wind up with an imbalance in the tips. It's not overly difficult to wind up with an imbalance, but straight running dry would take a lot of effort, imho.

Perhaps someone with more recent experience on the beast can speak up?
 
Murdoughnut said:
In case anyone was wondering like I was, the good Senator did provide primary instruction to his son.
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Oooh - the feelings of guilt over this. I imagine any CFI would feel terrible knowing that a former student was involved in a fatal crash, but for that student to be your son. Wow!
 
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