An unresponsive jet that crashed after flying over Washington had dozens of unresolved maintenance issues, NTSB report says
A business jet flying over Washington became unresponsive, likely due to pressure loss that incapacitated everyone onboard, leading to a crash in Virginia, as detailed in the National Transportation Safety Board's report. The Cessna Citation, with a pilot and three passengers, including the owner's daughter and granddaughter, failed to respond to air traffic control, prompting a chase by F-16s. Observations revealed the pilot was slumped over, and the autopilot continued to direct the plane for 300 miles before crashing. Maintenance issues were significant, with unresolved problems related to the pressurization system and missing oxygen masks, contributing to the incapacitation due to hypoxia. Despite the pilot's extensive flying experience, the NTSB found no evidence of a high risk of incapacitation from medical conditions or medication misuse.
Context:
A business jet flying over Washington became unresponsive, likely due to pressure loss that incapacitated everyone onboard, leading to a crash in Virginia, as detailed in the National Transportation Safety Board's report. The Cessna Citation, with a pilot and three passengers, including the owner's daughter and granddaughter, failed to respond to air traffic control, prompting a chase by F-16s. Observations revealed the pilot was slumped over, and the autopilot continued to direct the plane for 300 miles before crashing. Maintenance issues were significant, with unresolved problems related to the pressurization system and missing oxygen masks, contributing to the incapacitation due to hypoxia. Despite the pilot's extensive flying experience, the NTSB found no evidence of a high risk of incapacitation from medical conditions or medication misuse.
Dive Deeper:
The Cessna Citation lost pressure at 34,000 feet, likely causing hypoxia and incapacitation of the pilot and passengers, leading to a crash near Montebello, Virginia.
The pilot and three passengers, including the owner's daughter and granddaughter, died in the crash after the jet flew unresponsive over Washington, chased by F-16s producing a sonic boom.
Unresolved maintenance issues were critical, with 31 problems identified, including overdue inspections for the co-pilot's oxygen mask and deficiencies in the pressurization and environmental control systems.
Maintenance workers noticed two days before the crash that the pilot's oxygen mask was missing, and oxygen levels were inadequate for passengers, exacerbating the risk of hypoxia.
Pilot Jeff Hefner, a retired airline captain with 35,000 hours of flying experience, had medical conditions, but the NTSB found no significant risk of incapacitation from these or medication misuse.
The NTSB report highlights the dangers of hypoxia, noting symptoms such as confusion and disorientation, which vary among individuals and can lead to death if unmitigated.
The jet was owned by Encore Motors of Melbourne, Florida, and the decision not to address known maintenance issues contributed to the tragic outcome.