Business jet pilots were doing barrell roll before crash in Germany.
A Cessna Citation similar to accident aircraft (Photo by Cessna)
About a month ago, I reported on a plane crash involving a Cessna 550B Citation Bravo (registration OK-ACH) that had suddenly disappeared from radar after crossing into Germany from the Czech Republic. While the investigation into the accident by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation is still ongoing, a clear idea of what happened that night is starting to emerge. For the original post on this accident, click HERE.
The accident happened at 8:19 PM local time as Time Air Flight TIE039C, a ferrying flight from Prague Ruzyni Airport (LKPR) to Karlstad Airport (ESOK) in Sweden, had just crossed into German airspace. According to data retrieved from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR), the flight crew initiated a barrel roll with the business jet resulting in loss of control (and possibly structural failure) of the aircraft. The airplane’s wreckage was located overnight in mountainous terrain near the town of Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna (Saxony) in Germany.
The Cessna Citation Bravo is not even close to being certified for aerobatic maneuvers and the aircraft is not designed for high-load or inverted flight. The flight crew’s actions were as irresponsible as you can get in a cockpit and if there is anything positive about the outcome of this accident, it is that no one else was killed by the actions of these very unprofessional pilots.
The German investigators are still piecing together details of the investigation, but they have already recommended that the Czech Republic’s Civil Aviation Authority check the rest of Time Air’s fleet to determine if any other airplanes have been subjected to these kinds of flight maneuvers, possibly compromising the structural integrity of the aircraft. They have also recommended to the Czech CAA that Time Air’s safety management procedures be revised.
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How in the world did the test pilot get away with barrel rolling a 707?
Rusty,
Aircraft was a Cessna Citation Bravo and they did not get away with it.
Sorry Fernando, I wasn’t very clear in my comment, what I meant was the Boeing test pilot that performed an unauthorized roll before the aircraft was certified. By the way he was not fired but got an ear full from his boss.
Rusty,
You know, I’ve been around aviation for over 20 years now and never knew about the Boeing 707 barrel roll (if I did I can’t remember). I just finished seeing it on on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_khhzuFlE It is definitely quite impressive. In the investigation above, authorities are wondering whether the plane was put through the aerobatic paces more than a few times, leading to eventual structural failure.