NTSB Says Poor Decisions to Blame in Fatal Business Jet Accident

A string of failures led to the 2021 incident that killed all six people on board a Bombardier Challenger 605, according to the safety agency.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, August 17, 2023 at 07:24 PM ET

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The National Transportation Safety Board issued a 26-page report detailing what led to a 2021 crash of a Bombardier Challenger 605 jet in California. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB concluded the crash was caused by a series of critical errors and poor decision-making by the flight crew, including the First Officer's improper attempt to salvage an unstabilized approach with a steep bank and the Captain's failure to intervene.
Key contributing factors included the crew's failure to brief the complex circling approach, flying at excessive speeds, neglecting stabilized approach criteria (and failing to go around), and poor crew resource management under self-induced pressure.
The improper deployment of flight spoilers significantly reduced the aircraft's stall margin, leading to ignored stall protection warnings, an asymmetric left-wing stall, and subsequent impact with terrain.

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The National Transportation Safety Board has determined a series of poor decisions in the cockpit led to the crash of a business jet at Truckee-Tahoe Airport (KTRK) in 2021 that killed all six people on board.

The accident occurred on July 26, 2021, when the Bombardier Challenger 605 was en route from Pappy Boyington Field (KCOE) in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to Truckee-Tahoe in California.