The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a series of urgent safety recommendations aimed at improving pilot training, procedures and documentation for manufacturer-required postmaintenance stall test flights in certain Hawker business jets.
The recommendations stem from the NTSB’s investigations into two fatal accidents involving Hawker 800XP and 900XP airplanes during stall test flights, which together resulted in five fatalities. According to the NTSB, the accidents raised concerns that flight crews tasked with performing these tests may be inadequately prepared due to gaps in training guidance and flight manual information.
In a safety report released Jan. 2, the NTSB said deficiencies in available guidance could leave other pilots “similarly unprepared” to manage adverse stall behavior encountered during postmaintenance testing.
The board concluded that defined stall test pilot training and experience qualification criteria, along with formal stall test plans, would better equip crews to safely conduct the flights. The NTSB also found that airplane manuals for affected Hawker models lack sufficient documentation describing stall characteristics and recovery procedures.
As a result, the NTSB issued five urgent recommendations to Textron Aviation, calling on the manufacturer to establish authorized pilot qualification standards, develop detailed stall test plans, review additional models on the same type certificate and revise operating and flight manuals to better address stall behavior. Additional urgent recommendations direct the FAA to ensure the required actions are completed and properly incorporated into approved manuals.
They also urge the National Business Aviation Association to inform its members about the risks associated with postmaintenance stall test flights in Hawker 750, 800, 800XP, 850XP and 900XP airplanes.