A Cessna 208B EX Caravan that broke apart and crashed last month in Washington state was in the fourth day of testing to expand a drag-reduction system produced for the Caravan for the EX model. That’s according to a preliminary report released on Friday by the NTSB.
Two pilots and two staff members of Raisbeck Engineering died in the Nov. 18 crash. The company said at the time that the aircraft had not yet been modified.
PREVIOUS STORY: 4 killed in test-flight crash of Cessna 208B in Washington state; wing separated during flight
On the first day of testing, according to the report, the first day of flight totaled 1.1 hours, consisting of a pilot familiarity flight and a ferry flight to test weight and balance. Data collection began in the following day’s two flights, totaling 4.6 hours to gather baseline data for both mid center-of-gravity cruise flight and forward center-of-gravity stall speeds.
Two test flights took place on the day before the crash with the accident test pilot and a different right-seated pilot on board. The first flight of 1.2 hours tested center of gravity static stability. The second flight, testing the plane’s aft center of gravity stall characteristics ended with about half of the test card completed because an aft crewmember felt ill.
The Cessna 208 took flight on Nov. 18 to complete the test card. Preliminary radar data shows the plane departed Renton, Washington just before 9:30 a.m., flying north. It climbed to 9,500 feet and began a series of turns and maneuvers for about 45 minutes at altitudes ranging between 6,500 feet and 10,275 feet.
Around 52 minutes into the flight, according to the NTSB, data showed the plane climb to 9,700 feet and turned left. After a near-360-degree turn, the plane made a “sharp” 180-degree-left turn. The last recorded radar hit came 12 seconds after the 180-degree-turn, according to the preliminary report.
“During the last 12 seconds the track indicated that the airplane’s descent rate exceeded 14,000 feet-per-minute and gradually lessened to 8,700 feet-per-minute,” the report states.
Witnesses told the NTSB that the aircraft broke up in flight and that they watched pieces floating down.
“The airplane then descended in a nose-low near-vertical corkscrew maneuver toward the ground,” the report states. “Several witnesses reported seeing a white plume of smoke when they observed the airplane break into pieces. A security camera recorded a low-quality image of the airplane rotating about its longitudinal axis in nose-low attitude.”
The right-seat pilot who had flown on the day prior told the NTSB that he thought the crew likely was performing the second-to-last maneuver on the card – 96 knots indicated airspeed; flaps in landing configuration; 930 foot-pounds of torque; propeller RPM fully forward; accelerated 30-degree bank to the left – just prior to the crash.
The aircraft wreckage fell along a 1,830-foot path The right-wing strut separated from the fuselage but remained attached to the wing, and the right flap was separated into numerous pieces and scattered among the debris field. The left wing separated from the fuselage although was located adjacent to the main wreckage. The flap remained attached and was found in the retracted position.
The main wreckage and right wing were located at the beginning of the debris field and about 580 feet apart from one another. The main wreckage was partially consumed by fire.
The report from the NTSB is preliminary in nature and subject to updates and changes in the final report.
Recent Comments