NTSB: Co-pilot in a fatal accident in New Jersey should not have stolen

The crew of a Learjet who crashed into office buildings near a New Jersey airport two years ago made multiple mistakes during the 25-minute flight at the airport. departure from Philadelphia, starting with the pilot's decision to let the co-pilot fly the aircraft in violation of the company's policy. the National Transportation Safety Board wrapped up Tuesday.

Both pilots were killed in the crash of May 15, 2017, just south of Teterboro Airport, located about 12 miles from New York City and serving private jets often carrying rich and famous people. Nobody else was on board the plane.

The NTSB investigators painted a picture of a flight assaulted by incorrect calculations, missed signals and poor communication between the two pilots and the air traffic controllers at Teterboro.

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According to NTSB President Robert Sumwalt, there was "widespread non-compliance with procedures" on the part of the crew, starting with the pilot's decision to ask the co-pilot to take control. The co-pilot had many difficulties during the training and was assigned by Trans-Pacific Jets to conduct the flight watch.

"The pilot had to coach the co-driver intensively, while assuming his own responsibilities," Sumwalt said. "There was neither good nor the other and the two pilots lacked awareness of the situation."

The NTSB has criticized Trans-Pacific for failing to adequately monitor the security of its operations. The Honolulu-based company did not respond to a message before business hours on Tuesday.

The flight problems began even before the plane leaves Philadelphia, the investigators concluded. The pilot had initially requested to fly at an altitude of 27,000 feet, an altitude far too high for a flight of about 136 km, and there was no evidence that the two men had given instructions on the small approach procedures. Teterboro Airport.

"Someone had to get together before they even start the engines and talk about them," said NTSB investigator David Lawrence on Tuesday.

A dozen times during the flight, the co-pilot had difficulty controlling the speed of the aircraft, said Sumwalt, and the crew first confused the runways of the Newark Liberty International Airport with those from Teterboro when he was heading north. After passing Newark, the Teterboro Air Traffic Controllers requested the aircraft to veer to the east just north of MetLife Stadium, in anticipation of a northbound bend towards Teterboro. The crew, apparently uncertain as to the approach procedure, did not perform the maneuver or ask the tower for clarification.

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Now at the airport, the plane has veered sharply to the right. A controller told the investigators that the turn was so extreme that he could see the whole belly of the aircraft. The voice recorder in the cockpit revealed the last moments filled with explosives when the pilot took over the controls 15 seconds before the impact.

The plane crashed into office buildings and parking within one kilometer of the runway. Employees of a public works building had left the crash site a few minutes earlier, according to an eyewitness.