Bombardier CL-600-2B16 N322FX

Summary

On 31 October 2006 at about 22:09 local time, a Bombardier CL-600-2B16 registered N322FX, operated by Bombardier Business Jet Solu, was involved in an accident near Teterboro, New Jersey, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 October 2006 at 22:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Teterboro, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Teterboro Airport (TEB)

Coordinates

40.8861, -74.3864

Aircraft

Bombardier CL-600-2B16

Registration

N322FX

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Bombardier Business Jet Solu

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dulles → Teterboro

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

NYC07LA018

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's excessive maneuver while in cruise flight in response to a traffic collision alert, and failure to follow company procedures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

While level at 3,000 feet above mean sea level and receiving radar vectors for an instrument approach, the pilots received a traffic advisory (TA) from the airplane's Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). The co-pilot was flying the airplane when the TA was issued, and began a visual scan for the traffic. The pilot-in-command then "yanked the controls" out of the copilot's hands, and began a banking left turn. Moments later, the TCAS issued a resolution advisory (RA) commanding a climb, so the pilot increased the airplane's pitch attitude, and climbed approximately 800 feet while simultaneously rolling wings level. Neither pilot made visual contact with the airplane for which the RA was issued. During the maneuver, the flight attendant broke her left leg. The airplane, which triggered the TA passed within 0.75 nautical miles laterally, and 100 feet vertically of the accident airplane. While air traffic control did not consider the airplane to be on a collision course, they did notify the accident crew of the airplane's position. The accident airplane's flight data recorder indicated a maximum angle of attack of 15.6 degrees, a maximum bank of 32 degrees, and an altitude increase to 3,778 feet in 16 seconds. The entire maneuver lasted 40 seconds, rate of climb peaked at 2,628.75 feet per minute, and maximum acceleration reached 2.3 Gs. According to the operator a typical RA response consisted of a maneuver requiring a G-force of +/- .25g and when using the information from the TCAS traffic advisory display the flight crew should commence a visual search for the intruder and if, and only if, the intruder is visually acquired, maneuver the aircraft to maintain separation. They also warned their flight crews that maneuvers based solely on TCAS traffic advisories (TA), without visual acquisition of the intruder were not recommended, and that, "certain vertical speeds were not safe" and that the flight crew should monitor their vertical speed indicator (VSI) and keep the VSI pointer out of the "red prohibited area." The guidance provided also advised to "be prepared to maneuver," should an RA sound 10 to 15 seconds later and that the pilot flying should maneuver the airplane "promptly and smoothly" in response to an RA.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.