- Date
- October 10, 2000, 14:52 local (19:52 UTC)
- Place
- Wichita, KS
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- CFTBZCanadair CL600-2B16
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2004
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- Parties
- GE Aircraft Engines, Transport Canada, Bombardier Aerospace, Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 50426
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot’s excessive takeoff rotation, during an aft center of gravity (c.g.) takeoff, a rearward migration of fuel during acceleration and takeoff and consequent shift in the airplane’s aft c.g. to aft of the aft c.g. limit, which caused the airplane to stall at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident were Bombardier’s inadequate flight planning procedures for the Challenger flight test program and the lack of direct, on-site operational oversight by Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2004/AAB0401.pdf
On October 10, 2000, at 1452 central daylight time, a Canadair Challenger CL-600-2B16 (CL-604) (Canadian registration C-FTBZ and operated by Bombardier Incorporated) was destroyed on impact with terrain and postimpact fire during initial climb from runway 19R at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT), Wichita, Kansas. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as an experimental test flight. The pilot and flight test engineer were killed. The copilot was seriously injured and died 36 days later.
Factual narrative
The Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2004/AAB0401.pdf
On October 10, 2000, at 1452 central daylight time, a Canadair Challenger CL-600-2B16 (CL-604) (Canadian registration C-FTBZ and operated by Bombardier Incorporated) was destroyed on impact with terrain and postimpact fire during initial climb from runway 19R at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT), Wichita, Kansas. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as an experimental test flight. The pilot and flight test engineer were killed. The copilot was seriously injured and died 36 days later.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CFTBZ
- Reported as
- Canadair CL600-2B16
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5991
- Airframe hours
- 1,226.8
- Engine
- General Electric CF34-3B, 9,300 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bombardier Inc., Canadair
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 21, 2000 · 24.3 hours before
- Departed
- ICT · KS
- Destination
- ICT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ICT · Wichita Mid-Continent, runway 19R, 10,301 × 150 ft, concrete
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 29, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,159 total · 96 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2000
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,541 total · 88 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 180° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ICT
Docket · 69
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 10, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 100 MB in all.