Posted on 01/31/2026 11:14:12 AM PST by BenLurkin
Engine start was initiated using the onboard battery.
Afterwards, following an initial unsuccessful start of the left engine, both engines were started around 9:53 a.m. But problems continued to mount as the aircraft taxied toward the runway.
During taxi, the pilot and two pilot-rated passengers discussed that a thrust reverser indicator light for an unspecified engine was inoperative, though they believed the thrust reverser itself was working properly. Meanwhile, the right-seat passenger attempted to contact ZTL ATC and activate the flight’s IFR flight plan three times between 10:08 and 10:10 but was unsuccessful due to the controller’s workload and associated radio communications.
Shortly after the pilot initiated a climb, the rear passenger noted a difference between the left and right engine interstage turbine temperature indications. At 10:13:48, the right-seat passenger, Jack Dutton, spoke over the common traffic advisory frequency, saying, “We are having some issues here.”
At 10:14:05, the rear passenger asked the pilot about power to the “alternator,” even though the CE-550 airplane is not equipped with an alternator.
About four seconds later, audio quality returned to its previous levels on all recorded CVR audio channels, and the pilot commented that this was the “problem,” without specifying what the problem was or what actions were taken to correct it.
(Excerpt) Read more at profootballnetwork.com ...
Reading the article it looks as if there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Perhaps the actual licensed, qualified pilot for the aircraft could have handled the problem(s) himself and kept everyone alive.
I know on the BE400 that the thrust indicator light being INOP was an easy no-go. I remember in the sim when they would deploy a thrust reverser just after rotation, it sure was a handful if you didn’t get to the emergency retract switch fast enough.
Sounds like the pilot in charge was oblivious and couldn't handle anything. Possible thrust reverser issue? Ignore. Engine temperature mis-match? Ignore. Electrical issue? Apparently addressed, which could mean something wasn't done right on the pre-flight checklist.
There were likely mechanical issues with the plane, but the root cause appears, from this story, to have been pilot error.
Bottom line: don’t get behind on your airspeed. Amazing how many pilots do…
A guy from the old neighborhood, Doug Durning and his co pilot, died in a landing at Sundance a few years ago when a thrust reverser deployed somehow at the last moment during landing. Plane just suddenly flipped right over the runway. No one else on board.
According to Pilot Debrief they may not have turned on the generators pre flight and we’re running on Batts until the passenger pilot pointed it out.
Who needs those pesky time wasting checklists. Gotta go.
“Reading the article it looks as if there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Perhaps the actual licensed, qualified pilot for the aircraft could have handled the problem(s) himself and kept everyone alive.”
Reads to me like the pilot was ignoring indications and concerned passengers were pointing that out.
There are old pilots...
Ha!
My dad used to say that!
... then I’d say “yeah, but what about Chuck Yeager?!”
The accident was--at least in part--the consequences of hubris, IMHO.
Thanks for the additional information.
Evidently, they assume I know what the Greg Biffle investigation is. I don’t.
Who needs those pesky time wasting checklists. Gotta go.
O course you know the reason for a check list, but for those who do not.
The checklist isddesigned specifically for the purpose of avoiding death under similar circumstances.
Any of the discrepencies listed, by itself, would reqquire a competent pilot to scratch the flight until repaired.
And I will add that a test flight to determine that the repair was successful MUST be made under very definite VFR conditions.
Biffle, himself holding a license to fly the Cessna, was also not rated to be a co-pilot. However, Biffle was in the back seat.
-PJ
Instead of linking to a story about the report, why not go to the source and link to the report itself?
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202182/pdf
Or is that too much trouble?
In Freeperdom, it is way too much trouble.
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