- Date
- May 31, 2014, 21:40 local (Jun 1, 2014, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bedford, MA
- Injuries
- 7 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N121JMGulfstream Aerospace G IV
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 2015
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Honeywell Aerospace, Massport, FAA AVP-100, Rockwell Collins, UK - AAIB
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 20140531024449A
- Case key
- 89324
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 flight crewmembers' failure to perform the flight control check before takeoff, their attempt to take off with the gust lock system engaged, and their delayed execution of a rejected takeoff after they became aware that the controls were locked. Contributing to the accident were the flight crew's habitual noncompliance with checklists, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation's failure to ensure that the G-IV gust lock/throttle lever interlock system would prevent an attempted takeoff with the gust lock engaged, and the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to detect this inadequacy during the G-IV's certification.
Findings · 14
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-15/03. On May 31, 2014, about 2140 eastern daylight time, a Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation G-IV, N121JM, registered to SK Travel, LLC, and operated by Arizin Ventures, LLC, crashed after it overran the end of runway 11 during a rejected takeoff at Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Massachusetts. The airplane rolled through the paved overrun area and across a grassy area, collided with approach lights and a localizer antenna, passed through the airport's perimeter fence, and came to a stop in a ravine. The two pilots, a flight attendant, and four passengers died. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The corporate flight, which was destined for Atlantic City International Airport, Atlantic City, New Jersey, was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident
Factual narrative
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-15/03. On May 31, 2014, about 2140 eastern daylight time, a Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation G-IV, N121JM, registered to SK Travel, LLC, and operated by Arizin Ventures, LLC, crashed after it overran the end of runway 11 during a rejected takeoff at Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Massachusetts. The airplane rolled through the paved overrun area and across a grassy area, collided with approach lights and a localizer antenna, passed through the airport's perimeter fence, and came to a stop in a ravine. The two pilots, a flight attendant, and four passengers died. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The corporate flight, which was destined for Atlantic City International Airport, Atlantic City, New Jersey, was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N121JM
- Reported as
- Gulfstream Aerospace G IV
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1399
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 4,945
- Engines
- Rolls-Royce TAY 611-8, 13,850 lbs thrust, turbo fanRolls-Royce TAY 611-8, 13,850 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Arizin Ventures, LLC
- Registered owner
- Sk Travel LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 20, 2013 · 250 hours before
- Departed
- BED · Bedford, MA
- Destination
- ACY · Atlantic City, NJ
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BED · Laurence G Hanscom Fld, runway 11, 7,011 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 11,270 total · 1,645 in this make and model · 53 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 18,560 total · 3,160 in this make and model · 53 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- BED
Docket · 91
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 8, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 240 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.