Update: Gulfstream N652GD G650 Fatal accident April 2, 2011 – Update 4/13/2011

Previous articles:

https://www.jettimes.com/gulfstream-confirms-crash-of-g650-flight-test-aircraft/

https://www.jettimes.com/gulfstream-identifies-employees-killed-in-g650-crash/

This story will be updated here:

April 13, 2010

FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford told EAA: The aircraft had been in the pattern for a couple of hours,  over the weekend. Skies were clear and winds were light from the southwest. “The plane had just lifted off when the right wing struck the concrete. The plane hit the ground again and the landing gear collapsed,”. The airplane skidded for some distance and slid to a stop about 40 feet from the control tower.

Killed in the crash were experimental test pilots Kent Crenshaw, 64, and Vivan Ragusa, 51, and technical specialists David McCollum, 47, and Reece Ollenburg, 48.

April 6, 2010

The NTSB has released their preliminary report.(See below) Noteworthy in the report is the following statement:

The airplane was operating under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Experimental Certificate of Airworthiness and was performing a take off with a simulated engine failure to determine take-off distance requirements at minimum flap setting.


 

——– NTSB Preliminary Report ——–

 

NTSB Identification: CEN11MA258
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 02, 2011 in Roswell, NM
Aircraft: GULFSTREAM GVI, registration: N652GD
Injuries: 4 Fatal.

 

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On April 2, 2011, about 0934 mountain daylight time, a Gulfstream GVI (G650) airplane, N652GD, was substantially damaged after impact with terrain during takeoff at Roswell International Air Center Airport (ROW), Roswell, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The two flight crewmembers and the two technical crewmembers were fatally injured. The flight had originated from ROW about 0700 for a local area flight.

The airplane was operating under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Experimental Certificate of Airworthiness and was performing a take off with a simulated engine failure to determine take-off distance requirements at minimum flap setting.

Wingtip scrape marks beginning on the runway approximately 5,300 feet from the end of the runway lead toward the final resting spot about 3,800 feet from the first marks on the runway. Witnesses close to the scene saw the airplane sliding on the ground with sparks and smoke coming from the bottom of the wing, and described the airplane being fully involved in fire while still moving across the ground. The airplane struck several obstructions and came to rest upright about 200 feet from the base of the airport control tower. Several airport rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) units responded quickly and fought the fire.