Media questions safety of MU-2 aircraft

Our Dallas ace, Ladd Sanger, made the front pages in May after the crash of an MU-2 cargo plane took the life of pilot Thomas Lennon, 34, of Pennsylvania. The plane crashed into a neighborhood near Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Subsequent articles in the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post questioned the MU-2’s safety record. The Sun described it as “a fast, cheap cargo plane with...a lengthy record of 183 accidents, causing almost 200 deaths over the past 36 years.”

In the article, Sanger discussed the aircraft’s unique design which allows it to have a high cruise speed and cargo hauling capacity, but makes the aircraft difficult to control at low speeds on one engine.

“The MU-2 is one of the only aircraft in the world that uses spoilers to roll the aircraft instead of ailerons. The spoilers literally destroy the lift on the wing. When the aircraft is struggling to stay airborne, this can be very dangerous,” Sanger said.

In the Post article, Sanger remarked the MU-2 is a “very unforgiving airplane in an emergency situation. It can fly at high speeds … but also can be difficult to control. The design of the airplane is both its strong point and the chink in its armor.”

In its May 24 issue, Air Safety Week challenged the MU-2’s safety record, remarking, “In any event, the accident rate for the MU-2 and other turboprop aircraft is substantially higher than the accident rate per 100,000 hours for transport-category aircraft in scheduled passenger service.”

Two recent MU-2 settlements

Sanger recently represented two families who lost loved ones in MU-2 crashes. Confidential settlements were reached before trial in both cases.

Gerald Babb of Saratoga, Calif., died in the crash of a 1978 Mitsubishi MU-2 that had been brought to the United States from Argentina. Before it was registered to Babb’s company, BTC Saratoga, the aircraft had been taken to Tulsa for refurbishing and to overhaul the right engine.

On January 22, 2000, Babb and his business partner picked up the plane in San Antonio. Shortly after the aircraft became airborne, the right engine failed. The airplane unsuccessfully struggled to gain altitude, rolled and crashed in a vacant lot, killing both men onboard.

“Gerry Babb’s company was involved in high-tech startups and, ironically, was developing a safe-landing system to be used in aircraft,” Sanger said.

Babb is survived by his wife Wendy and children Ashley, Lindsey and Preston, who are all Texas Aggie fans like their father.

In another recent MU-2 case, Jerry and Jeanne Fambrough took off from Houston in their MU-2 on a planned cross-country flight. Above The Woodlands, at approximately 11,000 feet, the right wing tip tank separated from the aircraft. The plane spiraled to earth, killing both.

“Jerry Fambrough was a dedicated and highly regarded MU-2 pilot,” Sanger said. “When the tip tank fell off, he was left without any way to control the aircraft.”

The Fambroughs are survived by their adult children.