Date & Time:
Oct 10, 2000 at 1452 LT
Type of aircraft:
Canadair CL-604 Challenger
Operator:
Registration:
C-FTBZ
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wichita - Wichita
MSN:
5991
YOM:
1994
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total hours on type:
189
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
1226
Circumstances:
On October 10, 2000, at 1452 central daylight time, a Canadair Challenger CL-600-2B16 (CL604) (Canadian registration C-FTBZ and operated by Bombardier Incorporated) was destroyed on impact with terrain and postimpact fire during initial climb from runway 19R at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT), Wichita, Kansas. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as an experimental test flight. The pilot and flight test engineer were killed. The copilot was seriously injured and died 36 days later.
Probable cause:
The pilot’s excessive takeoff rotation, during an aft center of gravity (c.g.) takeoff, a rearward migration of fuel during acceleration and takeoff and consequent shift in the airplane’s aft c.g. to aft of the aft c.g. limit, which caused the airplane to stall at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident were Bombardier’s inadequate flight planning procedures for the Challenger flight test program and the lack of direct, on-site operational oversight by Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Final Report:
C-FTBZ.pdf1.18 MB
