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Tamarack Responds to AAIB Report About 2019 CJ1 Incident

FLYING contributor Dick Karl says making the transition from a Cessna Citation CJ1 (above] to a Beechcraft P-Baron was an eye-opener. [Courtesy: Cessna]
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Key Takeaways:

  • A Cessna Citation with aftermarket Tamarack winglets experienced a severe uncommanded roll and descent due to a winglet system failure, nearly causing a fatal accident despite the pilot's extensive flight experience.
  • The investigation revealed the pilot had not read the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) supplement detailing emergency procedures for the winglet system and failed to report a similar, less severe incident a month earlier.
  • While the AAIB found the AFM supplement and initial certification inadequately characterized the failure's severity, Tamarack disputed some pilot reports and noted an uncomplied service bulletin would have prevented the issue.
  • The incident led to regulatory actions, Tamarack's temporary bankruptcy, and highlighted the critical importance of pilots thoroughly understanding new aircraft systems and their emergency procedures, as well as the need for comprehensive documentation and training.
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Accident and incident chains usually follow a similar pattern when a number of innocent errors stack to create an event. Despite 4,400 hours of total flight time, nearly three quarters of which had been logged in Cessna Citation CJs, a US-registered aircraft N680KH nearly got away from its pilot during an April 2019 incident near Bournemouth, England. A follow-up investigation showed the pilot simply did not read a critical AFM supplement, despite a close call just a month before.

Rob Mark

Rob Mark is an award-winning journalist, business jet pilot, flight instructor, and blogger.

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