Crew Failed To Check Instruments, Follow Approach Procedures

The National Transportation Safety Board released its final report Monday on the 2004 crash of a corporate jet in Houston, TX that killed three crewmembers.

As Aero-News reported, the plane was on its way to pick up former President George H.W. Bush for a flight to Ecuador when it went down. The two pilots and a flight attendant were the only persons aboard the plane when it crashed November 22, 2004.

The board found the Gulfstream G-1159A (N85VT), operated by Business Jet Services Ltd., struck a light pole and crashed about 3 miles southwest of William P. Hobby Airport in Houston while on an instrument landing system approach to runway 4. 

The Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the crash was the flight crew's failure to adequately monitor and cross check the flight instruments during the approach.  Contributing to the accident was the flight crew's failure to select the instrument landing system frequency in a timely manner and to adhere to approved company approach procedures, including the stabilized approach criteria.

"It is imperative that flight crews maintain their vigilance constantly during all phases of flight," NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said.  "The circumstances of this accident support the Board's effort to have the Federal Aviation Administration include mandatory crew resource management training in Part 135 operations.  This issue was added to the Board's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements last week."

FMI: Read The Complete NTSB Report (.txt)