Gulfstream IV Crash Mystery Focuses on Mechanical Systems

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at 07:02 PM ET

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Gulfstream IV's tire tracks

Key Takeaways:

Accident investigators are focusing on two critical discrepancies as clues in the deadly Gulfstream IV crash where the jet failed to lift off.
Flight data revealed the aircraft's flaps were set to 20 degrees, contradicting the cockpit handle found in the 10-degree detent.
Despite the gust lock handle being in the off position, FDR data showed the elevator was deflected downward as if the gust lock was engaged, and the pilots did not perform a control check before takeoff.

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Accident investigators are focusing on two perplexing clues as they try to determine what caused the deadly crash of Gulfstream IV in Bedford, Massachusetts, on May 31 after the jet failed to lift off from the runway during what should have been a routine takeoff.

The first mystery concerns the GIV’s flaps. Investigators found the flap handle in the cockpit in the 10-degree detent, yet a review of flight data recorder information shows the flaps were set by the crew to 20 degrees before takeoff.