Fri, Oct 31, 2014
Two Pilots On Board, Witnesses Report Seeing One Parachute
Virgin Galactic says that SpaceShipTwo suffered a serious 'in flight anomaly' during a test flight Friday.
In a statement posted on its website, the company said:
"Virgin Galactic’s partner Scaled Composites conducted a powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo earlier today. During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle. Our first concern is the status of the pilots, which is unknown at this time. We will work closely with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident and provide updates as soon as we are able to do so."
Two pilots fly on board the suborbital spacecraft while flight tests are conducted. CNBC reports that witnesses reported seeing one parachute over the Mojave Desert after the spacecraft apparently exploded in flight. Photographer Ken Brown was covering the test flight, and he told NBC news that he saw the spacecraft explode, and later found debris on the ground. The California Highway Patrol confirms that one of the pilots was fatally injured in the accident. The other was seriously injured. There were no injuries aboard WhitenightTwo.
The powered test flight was the first time the spacecraft's engines had been fired in nine months, according to the report. In that time, Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites have changed to a plastic-based fuel compound in an effort to boost performance.
The flight began at 0919 PDT. It took WhiteKnightTwo about 45 minutes to reach an altitude of 50,000 feet, where it released SpaceShipTwo.
We'll have more details on this story as they develop.
(Image from file)
More News
Chaff Thin, narrow metallic reflectors of various lengths and frequency responses, used to reflect radar energy. These reflectors, when dropped from aircraft and allowed to drift d>[...]
“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947. I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding>[...]
“Teaming up with the EAA and Berlin Express for this event in Cincinnati will give warbird fans a unique opportunity to see the aircraft that helped defend freedom and gave t>[...]
Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]
Aero Linx: The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission was created by the 1935 Legislature to oversee the development of aviation in the state. The Comm>[...]