The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the accident to be “The operator’s decision to allow a flight in an airplane with known, unresolved maintenance discrepancies, and the flight crew’s failure to properly configure the airplane in a way that would have allowed the emergency or parking brake systems to stop the airplane during landing.” While NTSB reports look directly at the technical aspects of accidents, there are often compelling stories hiding just beneath the surface.
NTSB Reports Don’t Always Tell the Entire Story
Key Takeaways:
- The accident was caused by the operator's decision to fly an aircraft with known, unresolved maintenance issues and the flight crew's failure to properly configure the emergency braking system during landing.
- A key maintenance discrepancy was a known, inoperative normal braking system, which the crew attempted to use despite a placard and available emergency braking options.
- Both pilots were critically unqualified for the flight; the pilot-in-command held a Falcon 50 type rating with only second-in-command privileges, and the flying copilot had only a private pilot certificate without a Falcon 50 or instrument rating, making the Part 135 operation illegal.
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