Lessons from the Truckee NTSB Case Study

The only good thing to come out of aviation accidents, be they large or small, is that we can often learn from the mistakes of others.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 02:53 PM ET

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The airplane’s downwind leg and allowed circling radius. [Courtesy: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

The 2021 Truckee-Tahoe Challenger 605 accident, which killed all on board, was primarily caused by an unstabilized approach, poor crew resource management (CRM), and critical decision-making failures, including the crew's neglect to brief a complex circle-to-land maneuver.
The accident highlighted a breakdown in cockpit communication and command, as the first officer struggled to coach an overwhelmed captain who failed to acknowledge or correct excessive speed and altitude, ultimately leading to a stall.
Key takeaways for aviation safety emphasize the crucial need for thorough approach briefings, consistent use of checklists, rigorous CRM training from early flight instruction, and pilots' willingness to assert control decisively in unsafe situations.

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The only good thing to come out of aviation accidents, be they large or small, is that we can often learn from the mistakes of others. I adopted this mindset years ago when I was tasked with writing up accident reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In hindsight, the mistakes can be glaring, leaping off the page. How to mitigate the risks and the failures that led to the event takes a little more thought.

The NTSB recently released a video of a panel discussion about the 2021 accident involving a Challenger 605 attempting a circle to land approach at Truckee-Tahoe Airport (KTRK), in Truckee, California, that resulted in the deaths of the flight crew, six passengers, and two dogs. The probable cause of the accident was released in August of this year and listed as a combination of an unstabilized approach and the flight crew’s poor crew resource management and decision making. The panel discussion took the event apart step by step to identify the issues and suggest ways to mitigate these risks.