Posted on 11/14/2025 9:03:22 AM PST by DFG
Pilots of a Raytheon Hawker 800XP business jet were performing a post-maintenance stall test during a 16 October flight that ended with the jet crashing in Michigan, killing all three people aboard.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says in a preliminary investigation report that a stall test had been required after maintenance technicians performed inspections of the jet’s wings.
The inspections involved removing and replacing the wing’s leading edges and “ice protection panels”. The work was performed by maintenance firm Duncan Aviation at its facility in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Duncan had given the jet’s primary captain a list of “experienced test pilots, for hire, to perform the post-maintenance stall test flight”, says the NTSB. “After being unable to coordinate the stall test flight with a test pilot, the flight crew elected to perform the post-maintenance stall test themselves.”
“The stall flight was part of a test flight conducted at the completion of a scheduled maintenance event performed by Duncan,” that company says.
“Our focus is on supporting the families and friends of the crew, our team members who worked on the aircraft and developed close relationships with the aircraft’s representatives, the aircraft owner and anyone else touched by the tragic event,” says Duncan president Mike Minchow.
The jet took off at 17:28 local time from Battle Creek Executive airport and climbed to 15,000ft, then at 17:27 “began a rapid descent”, during which one of the pilots said over the radio that they were “in a stall, recovering”.
The Hawker slammed into the ground and most of its wreckage was consumed by fire.
The crash killed two pilots and their maintenance representative, but no Duncan employees, Duncan says.
“The NTSB has investigated at least three other accidents/incidents involving the performance of required stall tests after maintenance in business jets,” the report says.
It notes that the jet’s pilot operating manual describes procedures for and warnings about completing stall tests.
“Pilots conducting stall checks should have prior experience in performing stalls in the Hawker and must be prepared for unacceptable stall behaviour at any point leading up to and throughout the manoeuvre,” the manual says.
Something else must hwve gone wrong like a flat spin.
Fifteen K? I’d be up around 30 grand and ease into it Abrupt stall at 15k ????
I’m surprised they couldn’t recover from a stall at 15,000 ft.
“My guess is the aircraft failed the stall test.”
Or it was very successful.
I love black humor.
RIP to the crew.
“After being unable to coordinate the stall test flight with a test pilot, the flight crew elected to perform the post-maintenance stall test themselves.”
If I recall correctly, a high tail horizontal stabilizer makes recovering from a stall very challenging. As I can understand it, the wings prevent the high horizontal stabilizer from getting the air necessary for the elevators to rotate and point the nose down, which re-engages lift from the wings for stall recovery.
In a stall, there is insufficient air across the wings to create lift, so as the plane moves forward and the plane loses altitude the tops of the wings create a turbulent wash of air above and behind them, blocking the high horizontal stabilizer and elevators from “grabbing” air across the control surfaces.
My guess is that in this event, applying rudder would yaw and roll the plane, disrupt the turbulent wash across the tail and assist in recovery, but during the process, the altitude loss would be even faster than the stall. (Spitballing here)
This just my recollection and understanding.
Pilots will have to correct me where I’m in error...
At a minimum to test the Stall Warning System which was likely disconnected and reconnected as part of the maintenance, but may also have had certain components replaced.
https://planeandpilotmag.com/the-stall-warning-system/
Gallows humor kicks Azz.
Blancorilio’s YouTube channel has a good description of this condition and summary of recent related accidents. A flight test is required whenever the wing’s leading edge of this aircraft is disturbed, to ensure that proper alignment of mating surfaces has been maintained.
It is essential to never enter stall condition as entry can be rather violent, as his video of a successful test shows; even a successful early recovery will result in a few thousand feet or so of altitude loss. Once into deep stall, recovery is impossible and the aircraft will spiral down to a crash as a leaf fluttering from a tree. The flight test verifies that warning occurs well before that point.
Thanks. I didn’t know there was such a sensor and system. Makes lots of sense now.
The Hawker sounds like a twitchy aircraft at the edge of the envelope.
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