SS2, Manoeuvring West Mojave Desert CA USA, 2014

SS2, Manoeuvring West Mojave Desert CA USA, 2014

Summary

On 31 October 2014, the crew of a SpaceShip Two suborbital rocket, being operated by Scaled Composites on a routine test flight, broke up in flight after the co-pilot prematurely operated a release mechanism for an aerodynamic braking system which then deployed without further crew intervention. The NTSB Investigation concluded that whilst the co-pilot's error was the immediate cause of the accident, the context for it was the operator's failure to adequately understand and mitigate risk, and weakness in the FAA oversight process which led to inappropriate waivers from the normal requirements for issue of an experimental permit to fly.

Description

On 31 October 2014, a SpaceShip2 sub orbital 'rocket' plane [N339SS] being operated by Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, on a test flight out of the Mojave Air and Space Port in southern California in day Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC), was climbing just after release from its launch vehicle, a WhiteKnight Two aircraft at just over 46,000 feet amsl and accelerating rapidly during the 'boost' phase of the flight when it broke apart and was completely destroyed. The commander survived with serious injuries and the co-pilot was killed.

SpaceShip Two being carried beneath its launch plane, WhiteKnight Two, on an earlier flight. Source:Wikicommons

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board (USA) (NTSB). Relevant data was successfully downloaded from the recovered FDR and a forward facing cockpit camera and the wreckage, spread over a 5 mile area north east of Mojave was subjected to a careful examination.

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