Undetermined · NTSB DCA11MA076

GULFSTREAM GVI — Roswell, NM

4 fatal High-time pilot

Date	April 2, 2011
Location	Roswell, NM
Aircraft	GULFSTREAM GVI
Purpose of flight	Flight Test
Conditions	Day · Visual Meteorological Cond
Phase / occurrence	Prior to flight Preflight or dispatch event
Pilot age	64
Pilot total time	11,237 hrs · High time
Time in type	263 hrs
Fatalities	4

Probable cause

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: an aerodynamic stall and subsequent uncommanded roll during a one engine-inoperative takeoff flight test, which were the result of (1) Gulfstream’s failure to properly develop and validate takeoff speeds for the flight tests and recognize and correct the takeoff safety speed (V2) error during previous G650 flight tests, (2) the G650 flight test team’s persistent and increasingly aggressive attempts to achieve V2 speeds that were erroneously low, and (3) Gulfstream’s inadequate investigation of previous G650 uncommanded roll events, which indicated that the company’s estimated stall angle of attack while the airplane was in ground effect was too high. Contributing to the accident was Gulfstream’s failure to effectively manage the G650 flight test program by pursuing an aggressive program schedule without ensuring that the roles and responsibilities of team members had been appropriately defined and implemented, engineering processes had received sufficient technical planning and oversight, potential hazards had been fully identified, and appropriate risk controls had been implemented and were functioning as intended.

NTSB findings

Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Related operating info
Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Engine out capability-Related operating info
Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Related operating info
Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Flight crew
Organizational issues-Development-Selection/certification/testing-Equip certification/testing-Manufacturer
Organizational issues-Management-Scheduling-Task scheduling/workload-Manufacturer
Organizational issues-Support/oversight/monitoring-Oversight-Oversight of operation-Manufacturer
Organizational issues-Development-Design-Policy/procedure development-Manufacturer
Organizational issues-Management-Communication (organizational)-Between groups/organizations-Emergency services
Organizational issues-Management-Communication (organizational)-Between groups/organizations-Airport
Organizational issues-Management-Communication (organizational)-Between groups/organizations-Manufacturer
Organizational issues-Management-Resources-Availability of personnel-Airport
Environmental issues-Operating environment-Communication system-(general)-Not specified

What happened

The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/reports_aviation.html. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-12-02.

On April 2, 2011, about 0934 mountain daylight time, an experimental Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation GVI (G650), N652GD, crashed during takeoff from runway 21 at Roswell International Air Center Airport, Roswell, New Mexico. The two pilots and the two flight test engineers were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The airplane was registered to and operated by Gulfstream as part of its G650 flight test program. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.

View the official NTSB docket →