'Pilot Error' May have Caused Virgin Galactic Crash after Branson Spaceship's 'Descend Device' was Deployed Prematurely, Investigators Reveal
- Investigators found fuel tanks intact in Mojave desert, ruling out explosion
- Instead, spaceship broke apart in mid-air following serious braking error
- 'Feathering' system enabling craft to rapidly reduce speed deployed early
- Co-pilot engaged system but next step occurred without human command
- Investigators say establishing exact cause of crash could take up to a year
Daily Mail UK, 4 November 2014
US investigators say they have not ruled out the possibility of pilot error on board the doomed Virgin Galactic spaceship, as they revealed that a safety device to slow the craft's descent was deployed early.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is leading the probe into the crash in the Mojave Desert in California on Friday, said investigators found that the spaceship's 'feathering' system - which lifts and rotates the tail to create drag - was activated before the craft reached the appropriate speed and that the fuel tanks were found intact and had not blown up.
Deploying the feathering system is a two-step process. Christopher Hart, acting chairman of the NTSB, said the American co-pilot had unlocked the system but that second step occurred 'without being commanded'.
Disaster: An investigation has revealed that Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo did not explode in mid-air due to fuel ignition - but it could have come apart for mechanical reasons
'After it was unlocked, the feathers moved into the deployed position and two seconds later we saw disintegration,' he told a press conference.
Mr Hart said investigators would look at a wide range of issues including training, the spacecraft's design and whether there was pressure to continue testing, over the coming months to determine the cause of the crash.
SpaceShipTwo co-pilot Michael Alsbury, 39, died when the aircraft crashed. Surviving pilot Peter Siebold, 43, was alert and speaking with family members and medical staff in hospital, his employer, Scaled Composites, said. He could be the key to understanding how exactly the catastrophe occurred.
Crash: The spacecraft was supposed to 'feather' when it reached its maximum altitude at 360,000ft but the device was launched early just seconds after detaching from the launch craft
'Feathers': It was revealed that a mechanism related to the movable wings on the plane was triggered earlier than usual. They are shown above laying flat on the plane, in the position usual for when the plane accelerates
Space brakes: They 'feathers' are shown above in the other position, which helps the craft slow down more quickly as it falls to earth. The feathers moved directly before the ship split apart, killing one pilot
Virgin Galactic crash NOT caused by exploding fuel tank:
Investigators said it could take up to a year before they are able to establish exactly why SpaceShipTwo crashed.
There had been speculation engine failures were behind the crash, prompted in part because SpaceShipTwo was trialing a new, more potent fuel for the first time.
But at a briefing last night Mr Hart said SpaceShipTwo's fuel tanks and engines showed no signs of being compromised.
Instead he revealed a crucial lever inside the ****pit had been pulled by one of the pilots earlier than usual, shortly followed by the non-requested deployment of the 'feathers'.
The feathers - a unique design feature of SpaceShipTwo - are wings on the back of the vehicle which rotate during flight. In one position they act like the wings of a plane, letting the craft accelerate and climb while the rocket fires.
In the other position, they become massive drag brakes, which helps slow the spaceship down as it re-enters the atmosphere.
Richard Branson was 'uncomfortable' with explosion claims
Investigation: Agents from the NTSB are shown picking through debris in the Mojave Desert, California
Pilots: Michael Alsbury (TOP) was killed in the crash, while co-pilot Peter Siebold survived
Hart told reporters that, just seconds after the powerful rocket engine engaged, one of the two pilots started the process which lets the levers move.
He said that the process is not usually engaged until the spacecraft is traveling at Mach 1.4, but in this case it was begun while the plane was still accelerating from Mach 1.0 - the speed of sound.
One of the pilots pulled an 'unlock' lever, which then activates a separate lever which actually moves the wings, he explained.
He revealed the second lever had not been pulled - but that the feathers moved anyway, directly before the craft came apart in the air.
The new information leaves open the possibility of pilot error and mechanical failure. Hart stressed during the conference that he was not suggesting a cause for the disaster, merely stating facts.
NTSB investigators have also recovered intact fuel containers from the plane, as well as video feeds from inside and outside the ****pit which may shed further light on the crash.
Grisly scene: Law enforcement officials examine the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo
Mangled: The undercarriage of the aircraft can be seen amid the twisted metal of the fuselage in the Mojave Desert
Richard Branson: Determined to find out what went wrong
The agency is also interviewing experts and witnesses to help understand the crash - a process which could take as long as a year to be completely resolved.
Hart said: 'The debris field indicates an in-flight breakup. We'll know that for certainty when we look at all the sources we have.
The NTSB is leading the investigation into Friday's crash of SpaceShipTwo, which was undergoing its first powered test flight since January when it crashed, spreading debris over a 5-mile (8 km) swath of the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles.
One pilot was killed and another was badly injured.
Preliminary data gathered in the Virgin accident indicates that a structural failure, and not an engine explosion, led to the crash, according to a report published Sunday in the Wall Street Journal.
Lengthy: In a press conference yesterday the head of the agency said a full report could take a year to compile
Working: A team of NTSB investigators are pictured above in a Virgin Galactic hangar. They have video feeds to examine, interviews to conduct and wreckage to sift through
Investigators outline plans to determine cause of crash
Citing a source familiar with the nascent investigation, the report said video and early data was focusing on 'aerodynamic forces' that could have led to its downing.
Virgin Galactic's owner, British billionaire and entrepreneur Richard Branson, traveled to Mojave on Saturday to meet with his team and NTSB investigators.
Crisis: Sir Richard Branson is fighting for his reputation - and his fortune - as fall out spreads from the crash of his prototype passenger spaceship
He said he was determined to uncover the cause of the crash and said he believed the dream of space tourism for everyday passengers would live on.
'We have done that many times,' he added.
SpaceShipTwo was in the midst of test flights and was not yet certified for commercial operations when the crash occurred, delaying indefinitely the start of passenger service.
Branson and his son plan to fly on the first commercial flight. About 800 people already have paid or put down deposits for the ride, which costs $250,000.
The craft is intended to fly people to an altitude of just over 60 miles so they can experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the Earth against the blackness of space.
'We really thought by March of next year, we'd be there,' the billionaire entrepreneur told the BBC after arriving in Mojave on Saturday. 'Something went wrong. We need to find out what went wrong and fix it.'
U.S. investigators say the powered test flight of Virgin's SpaceShipTwo on Friday was well recorded, giving them an abundance of information to help determine what caused the rupture.
The two pilots involved were employees of Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman Corpsubsidiary that designed and built the six-passenger, two-pilot craft for Virgin Galactic.
Michael Alsbury, 39, was identified as the pilot who died. Co-pilot Peter Siebold, 43, who was riding in the right-hand seat, parachuted to the ground and was recovering at a nearby hospital, Scaled Composites said in a statement.
RELATED:
All Aboard? Dozens of Millionaire Investors from Swiss Bankers to Royals Pull out of Branson’s Virgin Space Flights After Disaster
- Peter Ulrich von May, an asset manager based in Switzerland, told The Independent that he no longer wishes to travel with Virgin Galactic
- Source said group of more than 30 had been talking about asking for refund
- Daily Mail reported Princess Beatrice will not board Virgin Galactic spaceship
- More than 700 people - including Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio - have bought tickets for spaceflights
Dozens of the wealthy investors who signed up to be among the first space tourists with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic programme are considering giving up their tickets.
Following the crash of SpaceShipTwo in California's Mojave desert on Friday that killed one pilot and left another in hospital, there have been reports that a number of Branson's 'future astronauts' are pulling out.
Peter Ulrich von May, an asset manager based in Switzerland, told The Independent that he no longer wishes to travel into space with Virgin Galactic and he has demanded his money back.
He said: 'I want out. I subscribed seven years ago at 63, am still an active private pilot and in good health but who knows how long it will now take. I have already informed VG of my wish - no reply yet.'
The Daily Mail reported two days ago that one of the programme's most high-profile customers Princess Beatrice will not be boarding the Virgin Galactic spacecraft after the disaster last week.
'Beatrice was excited by the idea of space tourism, but there is no way she will be going on one of the flights, if they are ever allowed to take place,' a source close to Buckingham Palace revealed.
An anonymous source told The Independent that a group of more than 30 had been talking about asking for a refund, in a move that could cost Branson millions.
'Before this tragic event happened I had been thinking of pulling my money anyhow because there had been various reports saying it doesn't stand a chance of getting into space,' the source added. 'I am giving serious thought to pulling out.'
More than 700 people - including Hollywood A-listers Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio - have bought tickets for Virgin Galactic space voyage flights, which sell at $250,000.
Ashton Kutcher was one of the first celebrities to book his ticket - and the 500th person overall - and he has since been joined by Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Russell Brand and Lady Gaga.
Actress Victoria Principal bought a ticket in 2009, but her representative Alan Nierob told USA Today that she withdrew from the program in 2012.
Following Friday's crash Branson has insisted that Virgin Galactic could 'move forward' as he vowed to travel on board the space flight with his relatives once safety tests have been completed
On Friday, Branson announced on the Virgin Galactic site that refunds would be available following the tragedy and a spokesperson said that a number of people have asked for their money back.
'We can confirm that less than three per cent of people have requested refunds,' the spokesman said.
But the anonymous source also told The Independent that some people are 'die-hard Richard Branson supporters and they will go on it whatever'.
Igor Kutsenko, who runs an advertising agency in Moscow and plans to go into space with his parents, said: 'We were all shocked and disappointed by the tragic news. We are in the project from very beginning.
'My parents are getting older and I'm only worried that their physical ability to participate in this obviously challenging adventure is deteriorating. But we stay firm in our desire to make this suborbital flight.'
More than 700 people - including Hollywood A-listers Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - have bought tickets for Virgin Galactic space voyage flights, which sell at $250,000
Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio also shelled out for tickets on the spacecraft
Branson had previously said of his programme, and those who wanted to get involved and travel to the final frontier, 'Everybody who signs up knows this is the birth of a new space program and understands the risks that go with that.'
Following Friday's crash the billionaire tycoon has insisted that Virgin Galactic could 'move forward' as he vowed to travel on board the space flight with his relatives once safety tests have been completed.
He told Sky News: 'We've spent many, many years building a spacecraft, a mothership, a space port, that I think can do the job and do the job safely.
Actress Victoria Principal bought a ticket in 2009, but her representative Alan Nierob told USA Today that she withdrew from the program in 2012
Ashton Kutcher was one of the first celebrities to book his ticket - and the 500th person overall - and he has since been joined by Katy Perry
'We will not start taking people until we've finished a whole massive series of test flights and until myself and my family have gone up, and until we feel that we can safely say to people 'we're ready to go'.'
He added: 'All I can say is we will not fly members of the public unless we can fly myself and family members.
'We need to be absolutely certain our spaceship has been thoroughly tested - and that it will be - and once it's thoroughly tested and we can go to space, we will go to space.
'We must push on. There are incredible things that can happen through mankind being able to explore space properly.'
Russel Brand and Justin Bieber are two of the celebrities signed up to Branson's spaceflights
Virgin Galactic Crash NOT Caused by Exploding Fuel Tank
Richard Branson was 'Uncomfortable' with Explosion Claims
Investigators Outline Plans to Determine Cause of Crash