Control Issues Preceded Cirrus Vision Jet Crash: NTSB

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An NTSB preliminary report (search CEN21LA384 at https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/query-builder?month=8&year=2021 ) says the takeoff crash of a Cirrus Vision Jet last week resulted from a control problem and rejected takeoff. As we reported last week, the single-engine jet went through the perimeter fence at Capital Regional Airport in Lansing, Michigan. All four people and a dog were uninjured and escaped the wreckage but the plane was destroyed by a post-crash fire. The NTSB says it was told technical issues with the plane prompted the aborted takeoff.

“The pilot reported a loss of left rudder effectiveness and left brake authority during the takeoff roll,” the report says. “He decided to reject the takeoff but was unable to stop on the remaining runway available resulting in a runway excursion. The airplane subsequently encountered an airport perimeter fence and a ditch.” The aircraft’s recoverable data module has been recovered and is being analyzed by the NTSB.

Russ Niles
Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Loss of LEFT rudder and braking?
    With mechanical systems (and a free-castering nosewheel), this should be interesting.

  2. And then there was the wind-shear report generated by TRW-s advancing on the airport. The tower told the pilot about the thunderstorms approaching and the pilots response “that’s why I want to get out of here”. Darwinism at it’s best. The pilot switched from 28L (into the wind) to 10R (oh my). Just as the pilot entered the runway the tower gave him an alert of more than 20kts straight across the runway (the wind was 7 its just one minute earlier).

    Over 100 years of aviation and pilots are making the same mistakes over and over again. Once this guy started the wheels in motion he just couldn’t throw the “no switch”. Mission driven? Human nature? If one of the passengers had just a little bit of training perhaps they could have said no. PRM, Passenger Resource Management. More latter on this.

  3. I looked at the preliminary accident report from NTSB.

    The report raises one question in my mind — if what Jeff said is correct AND looking at the 8/28 AvWeb article (which also talks to the convective weather around the airport) WHY isn’t the NTSB report more complete in its description of the weather conditions?

    • The tower tape is available. Google Lansing MI jet accident. You can bet that the aircraft manufacturer will have a different view of the accident than the pilots view. If it is what we think the cause is is true….. my guess is that you will see educational videos (using this accident) for years to come. This is a perfect example of what not to do, accident or no accident. The audio will boil your blood.

      I have proposed a program to AOPA Air Safety and to the FAA that goes under the name PRM – Passenger, Public, People Resource Management. The basis of PRM: What if one, or all, of the three pax in the aircraft had basic training such as :

      1. What it means to safety if your pilot is fatigued
      2. What it means to be flying in a new aircraft with a newly rated pilot
      3. What “all weather capability” really means
      4. Maintain at least 20 miles from all severe thunderstorm. What is Windshear, turbulence etc.
      5. Etc
      6. Etc.
      7. Etc.
      25. Etc.

      Airlines have experienced great success since the creation of CRM and Safety Management systems. CRM was ridiculed by the old guard when it was first introduced. The truth is that sharing the “no button” with all involved is most important. How many lives have been lost because someone said these words “it would be nice to have you home tonight” or “we (or I)need to be there”, etc.

      We don’t need more regulations, we just need to fly and act safely. Every accident is preventable. The purpose of PRM is to educate the passengers and give them a line of defense, a “no button”. Take a look at the accident of N722CD one year ago in AR. The new Cirrus pilot needlessly killed himself, his 7 year old son Gavin, his wife, his father-in-law. If the father in law and wife had just a little bit of education they could have insisted on flying the following day. This accident has repeated itself thousands of times since the Wright Bros invented these winged contraptions. These accidents are preventable. We just need to be smarter as a collective group. And no, PRM will not cause fights and divorces. A proper training program will eliminate pressure from the pilot as the decisions are spread around.

      God bless.

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