Test Pilot Gerard Guillaumaud Confirmed Lost

ANN RealTime Update, 11.29.06, 2202 EST: European media sources now indicate that the spn was being flown, single-pilot, by Gerard Guillaumaud and that no other persons were on board the aircraft. The accident occurred during a dmonstration flight and was reportedly not involved in formal flight test.

ANN RealTime Update, 11.29.06, 1907 EST: The newest of two prototype Grob spn light bizjets has gone down during flight testing. This aircraft, the second prototype of the Grob Aerospace spn, made its first flight just a few weeks ago, 29 September 2006, with Grob Aerospace test pilots, Gerard Guillaumaud and Alan Lawless at the helm.

While details are sparse at this time, Guillamaud is the only pilot confirmed to have been on the aircraft at the time of an accident -- which reportedly was severe enough to have claimed the lives of anyone on board. The accident occurred early Wednesday morning, near the factory's airfield in Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Germany.

Reports in German media indicate that the aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash.

The aircraft was part of a program expected to produce a 7.4 million dollar 8 passenger light bizjet with expected deliveries and EASA certification coming in 3Q/07, followed by US Certification by the end of that year.

The second spn prototype, dubbed P2, was the first aircraft to be equipped with an enhanced version of the Honeywell Primus Apex avionics suite. The flight test program and aircraft envelope, to date, were reported to have been "fully opened" by flight tests of P1 and recent flights by P2. P1 had already achieved a maximum altitude of 41,000 ft and confirmed a max speed of M .70. A stall speed of 77kts at MLW was also documented. Take-off distances were confirmed at 3,000 ft, while the aircraft's published landing distance was shortened by 10% to 2,670 ft at MLW -- down from 2,950 ft.

A third aircraft was slated to join the fleet recently. The test fleet has logged several hundred hours, to date.

FMI: www.grobspn.com