NTSB Updates Factual Report On June 2007 Accident
An updated factual report issued by the National Transportation
Safety Board on the June 2007 downing of a Cessna Citation 550 into
Lake Michigan suggests the accidental engagement of the plane's
autopilot may have contributed to the crash that killed all six
people onboard.
As ANN reported, the aircraft took off from
Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) on June 4,
2007 on what was to be a short flight across Lake Michigan. Onboard
were two pilots, four members of the University of Michigan's
transplant team, and two donor lungs; the 'Survival Flight' plane
was transporting the team to Detroit to perform a dual lung
transplant.
To date, the investigation has focused on a report from the
cockpit in the moments prior to the crash, describing an apparent
trim runway condition -- a problem that's cropped up on other older
Citations, as well. However, new evidence suggests the flight crew
may not have known the plane's autopilot had even engaged.
On Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reported on the updated NTSB
Factual Report, which gives new details about the final moments
onboard the stricken jet (accident aircraft shown below).
"Recordings retrieved from the airplane's cockpit voice recorder
contained comments by the Captain, who was the flying pilot, that
he was "fighting the controls". The first indication on the
recording relating to "fighting the controls" occurred about 18
seconds after the FO called out "rotate", 11 seconds after the
Captain called for the yaw damper, and less than one second after
the FO acknowledged a turn to a heading of 050 degrees," the NTSB
states. "Later in the recording, the Captain is heard to say
"something is wrong with the trim"; "I'm fighting the controls. It
wants to turn left hard" and "...she's rolling on me. Help me help
me."
The Free Press also cites analysis of the report by Captain
Steve Jones, head of operations at Western Michigan University's
College of Aviation. At the paper's request, Jones looked over the
evidence available so far, and said it's possible the copilot did
not activate the yaw damper, but rather the autopilot.
Both controls are located next to one another on the cockpit
center console, Jones said. "It's choppy. It's going to fight
you."
A Probable Cause report on the accident is due by the end of
this year. As part of its routine investigation, the NTSB is also
investigating the plane's operator, Martin Air, as well as looking
over the aircraft's maintenance records and cockpit voice
recordings.