NTSB Updates Factual Report On June 2007 Accident

An updated factual report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board on the June 2007 downing of a Cessna Citation 550 into Lake Michigan suggests the accidental engagement of the plane's autopilot may have contributed to the crash that killed all six people onboard.

As ANN reported, the aircraft took off from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) on June 4, 2007 on what was to be a short flight across Lake Michigan. Onboard were two pilots, four members of the University of Michigan's transplant team, and two donor lungs; the 'Survival Flight' plane was transporting the team to Detroit to perform a dual lung transplant.

To date, the investigation has focused on a report from the cockpit in the moments prior to the crash, describing an apparent trim runway condition -- a problem that's cropped up on other older Citations, as well. However, new evidence suggests the flight crew may not have known the plane's autopilot had even engaged.

On Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reported on the updated NTSB Factual Report, which gives new details about the final moments onboard the stricken jet (accident aircraft shown below).

"Recordings retrieved from the airplane's cockpit voice recorder contained comments by the Captain, who was the flying pilot, that he was "fighting the controls". The first indication on the recording relating to "fighting the controls" occurred about 18 seconds after the FO called out "rotate", 11 seconds after the Captain called for the yaw damper, and less than one second after the FO acknowledged a turn to a heading of 050 degrees," the NTSB states. "Later in the recording, the Captain is heard to say "something is wrong with the trim"; "I'm fighting the controls. It wants to turn left hard" and "...she's rolling on me. Help me help me."

The Free Press also cites analysis of the report by Captain Steve Jones, head of operations at Western Michigan University's College of Aviation. At the paper's request, Jones looked over the evidence available so far, and said it's possible the copilot did not activate the yaw damper, but rather the autopilot.

Both controls are located next to one another on the cockpit center console, Jones said. "It's choppy. It's going to fight you."

A Probable Cause report on the accident is due by the end of this year. As part of its routine investigation, the NTSB is also investigating the plane's operator, Martin Air, as well as looking over the aircraft's maintenance records and cockpit voice recordings.

FMI: Read The Factual Report