2014 Bedford Gulfstream IV crash
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| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 31 May 2014 |
| Summary | Attempted takeoff with gust lock engaged due to pilot error, resulting in runway overrun |
| Site | Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED), Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation G-IV |
| Operator | Arizin Ventures, LLC |
| Registration | N121JM |
| Flight origin | Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED), Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Destination | Atlantic City International Airport, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Passengers | 4 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The incident aircraft had been chartered by Lewis Katz, a millionaire philanthropist and co-owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer and several major sports teams, for a day trip from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Concord, Massachusetts. In addition to several personal friends, he had also invited Edward G. Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania, who was unable to accept.[1]
The flight crew consisted of pilot-in-command James McDowell, of Georgetown, Delaware, co-pilot Bauke "Mike" de Vries, 45, of Marlton, New Jersey, and flight attendant Teresa Benhoff, 48, of Easton, Maryland.[2] The other passengers included Anne Leeds, Marcella Dalsey, and Susan K. Asbell.[3]
Accident
After concluding his business in Concord, Katz and his party returned to Hanscom Field and boarded the airplane.
The airplane prepared to depart at 9:40 PM EDT, lining up on Runway 11 under night visual meteorological conditions. As it began its takeoff roll, the pilots realized that they had limited control of the steering and that the engine throttle levers could not be advanced to full power. The plane passed the maximum speed at which the pilots could have aborted the takeoff, known as V1, but they failed to apply the brakes for about 10 seconds or reduce the throttles for another 4 seconds after the crew realized there was a problem. The airplane rolled through the paved overrun area and across a grassy area, collided with approach lights and a localizer antenna, passed through the airport's perimeter fence, and came to a stop in a shallow ravine, where its full load of fuel immediately caught fire. All seven people aboard were killed and the airframe destroyed by the impact and post-crash fire.[4]
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began an investigation immediately, issuing its final report on September 9, 2015.[4] The NTSB found that the flight crew failed to adhere to required pre-flight procedures,[5] something which was found to be a habit for this particular crew. Critically, the pilots failed to conduct a flight control check, which would have revealed that the airplane’s "gust lock" system, which protects the elevator, ailerons, and rudder from wind gusts while the airplane is parked by locking them in place, was still fully engaged and prevented use of those control surfaces.[6] A review of data from the airplane’s quick access recorder revealed that the pilots had neglected to perform complete flight control checks before 98% of their previous 175 takeoffs in the airplane, indicating that this oversight was habitual and not an exceptional event.[4]
The gust lock handle also included an interlock mechanism intended to limit the throttle levers to just enough power for taxiing and idle while engaged. According to Gulfstream, this had been intended to prevent pilots from attempting to take off with the gust lock engaged. However, post-accident testing on other Gulfstream-IV airplanes found that, with the gust lock handle in the ON position, the forward throttle lever movement that could be achieved was 3 to 4 times greater than intended.[4]
The NTSB concluded that the probable cause of the accident was the flight crew’s failure to perform the flight control check before takeoff,[7] which led to their attempt to take off with the gust lock system engaged, and their delay in aborting the takeoff after they became aware that the controls were locked. The NTSB also cited as contributing factors the flight crew’s habitual noncompliance with checklists,[8] Gulfstream's failure to ensure that the Gulfstream-IV gust lock/throttle lever interlock system would prevent an attempted takeoff with the gust lock engaged, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to detect this defect during the Gulfstream-IV’s airworthiness certification.[4][9]
Aftermath
Following the accident, the NTSB issued an Airworthiness Directive that gave operators 3 years to retrofit the gust lock systems on their Gulfstream-IV jets.[10], and Gulfstream immediately announced that it would redesign the gust lock system.[11] The families of Katz and the pilots later filed wrongful death lawsuits against the manufacturer.[12]
External Links
- Pictures of the incident aircraft and crash site at Aviation Safety Network
- NTSB's official animated reconstruction on YouTube
References
- ^ Seelye, Katharine Q.; Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (June 1, 2014). "Philadelphia Inquirer Co-Owner Among 7 Killed in Massachusetts Plane Crash". The New York Times.
- ^ "Crew in jet crash that killed Lewis Katz included pilot who once survived fatal crash".
- ^ "Clues scant in plane crash that killed Lewis Katz, Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner".
- ^ a b c d e "Aviation Accident Report AAR-15-03". www.ntsb.gov.
- ^ "Crew Neglected Pre-Flight Check in Crash That Killed Lewis Katz, 6 Others: NTSB".
- ^ "NTSB Faults Pilot Compliance, Gust Lock in GIV Crash".
- ^ "NTSB: Pilot error led to the plane crash that killed Lewis Katz".
- ^ "NTSB: Pilot error led to the plane crash that killed Lewis Katz".
- ^ Jansen, Bart. "NTSB: Pilots left wing controls locked in place in Gulfstream crash that killed 7". USA TODAY.
- ^ "FAA AD on gust lock modification on Gulfstream G-IV jets becomes effective". 2 August 2017.
- ^ "Business Aviation BrandVoice: Gulfstream Responds to NTSB Findings".
- ^ "Family of philanthropist Lewis Katz files wrongful death suit".
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2014 Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
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