System/Component Malfunction/Failure (Non-Power): Dassault Falcon 50, N114TD; fatal accident occurred September 27, 2018 at Greenville Downtown Airport (KGMU), South Carolina

Stephen George Fox 

April 27, 1952 - September 27, 2018

Steve started flying in 1997, and it became a great passion, he eventually purchased a flight school. He lived as Marc Anthony wrote; If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life.

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Columbia, South Carolina
Honeywell; Phoenix, Arizona
Dassault Falcon Jet Corp.; New Castle, Delaware
BEA; FN

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 
 
https://registry.faa.gov/N114TD

Location: Greenville, SC
Accident Number: ERA18FA264
Date & Time: 09/27/2018, 1346 EDT
Registration: N114TD
Aircraft: Dassault FALCON 50
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter - Non-scheduled

Analysis

The flight crew was operating the business jet on an on-demand air taxi flight with passengers onboard. During landing at the destination airport, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recorded the sound of the airplane touching down followed by the pilot's and copilot's comments that the brakes were not operating. Air traffic controllers reported, and airport surveillance video confirmed, that the airplane touched down "normally" and the airplane's thrust reverser deployed but that the airplane continued down the runway without decelerating before overrunning the runway and impacting terrain. Post-accident examination of the airplane's brake system revealed discrepancies of the antiskid system that included a broken solder joint on the left-side inboard transducer and a reversal of the wiring on the right-side outboard transducer. It is likely that these discrepancies resulted in the normal braking system's failure to function during the landing.

Before the accident flight, the airplane had been in long-term storage for several years and was in the process of undergoing maintenance to bring the airplane back to a serviceable condition, which in-part required the completion of several inspections, an overhaul of the landing gear, and the resolution of over 100 other unresolved discrepancies. The accident flight and four previous flights were all made with only a portion of this required maintenance having been completed and properly documented in the airplane's maintenance logs. A pilot, who had flown the airplane on four previous flights along with the accident pilot (who was acting as second-in-command during them), identified during those flights that the airplane's normal braking system was not operating when the airplane was traveling faster than 20 knots. He remedied the situation by configuring the airplane to use the emergency, rather than normal, braking system. That pilot reported this discrepancy to the operator's director of maintenance, and it is likely that maintenance personnel from the company subsequently added an "INOP" placard near the switch on the date of the accident. The label on the placard referenced the antiskid system, and the airplane's flight manual described that with the normal brake (or antiskid) system inoperative, the brake selector switch must be positioned to use the emergency braking system. Following the accident, the switch was found positioned with the normal braking system activated, and it is likely that the accident flight crew attempted to utilize the malfunctioning normal braking system during the landing. Additionally, the flight crew failed to properly recognize the failure and configure the airplane to utilize the emergency braking system, or utilize the parking brake, as described in the airplane's flight manual, in order to stop the airplane within the available runway.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The operator's decision to allow a flight in an airplane with known, unresolved maintenance discrepancies, and the flight crew's failure to properly configure the airplane in a way that would have allowed the emergency or parking brake systems to stop the airplane during landing.

Findings

Aircraft
Brake - Failure (Cause)
Scheduled maint checks - Not serviced/maintained (Cause)

Personnel issues
Decision making/judgment - Flt operations/dispatcher (Cause)
Use of policy/procedure - Flight crew (Cause)

Organizational issues
Maintenance records - Operator (Cause)

Factual Information

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 27, 2018, about 1346 eastern daylight time, a Dassault Falcon 50, N114TD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU), Greenville, South Carolina. The two pilots were fatally injured, and the two passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight.

The airplane departed from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), Clearwater, Florida, at 1230. According to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), during the approach to GMU, the flight crew had difficulties understanding the navigation fixes that air traffic control had provided. The CVR also showed that the flight crew did not use any prelanding checklist or discuss that no braking was available with the brake system in the "#1-ON" position (the pilot was the copilot for the previous four flights in the airplane, during which this condition was present). At 1345:34, the CVR recorded the sound of the airplane touching down. At 1345:38, the pilot stated that the brakes were not operating. He and the copilot commented about the lack of brakes several more times before the airplane went over an embankment and came to a stop.

Air traffic controllers at GMU reported that the airplane touched down "normally" at a standard touchdown point on the runway. They saw the airplane's thrust reverser deploy and watched as the airplane continued down the runway without decelerating. An airport security video captured the airplane's touchdown and showed that the thrust reverser and the airbrakes were deployed. The video also showed the airplane as it continued to the end of the runway and went over the embankment.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate and a type rating for the Dassault Falcon 50 with a limitation for second-in-command privileges only. He also held type ratings for Learjet and Westwind business jets.

The co-pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multiengine land. He did not hold any type ratings nor did he hold an instrument rating.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The Dassault Falcon 50 was a midsize long-range business jet. The three engines were mounted at the rear of the airplane with the left engine identified as No. 1, the center engine identified as No. 2, and the right engine identified as No. 3. A thrust reverser was located on the No. 2 engine. The airplane was equipped with two independent hydraulic systems, which provided hydraulic power to several onboard systems including the airplane's brakes. System 1 provided hydraulic pressure for normal braking (with antiskid), while system 2 provided hydraulic pressure for emergency braking and parking brake. Selection of normal or emergency braking was done via a switch labeled "BRAKE" that was located on the instrument panel. The "#1-ON" position of the switch selected normal braking utilizing system 1, and provided antiskid protection, while the "2-OFF" position selected emergency braking and did not provide antiskid.

Review of the airplane maintenance records revealed that, on August 13, 2018, a 12-month avionics check was completed, at which time the airplane had accumulated 14,003 total hours and 7,541 total cycles.

According to the operator's director of maintenance, the airplane had been kept in storage in a hangar for about 4 years. In June 2018, a work order was generated to return the airplane to a serviceable status. The work order included a 12-month inspection, a 12-month or 500-hour inspection, a 24-month inspection, and a 36-month inspection. The work order also indicated that 1C, 3C, and 5C checks were to be completed and that a total of 103 discrepancies found during the ongoing inspections needed to be addressed. The work order was about 60% complete at the time of the accident, and there were no maintenance log entries made indicating that the airplane was airworthy and returned to service.

The work order did not include removal of the landing gear for overhaul. The last overhaul of the landing gear (main and nose) was completed on July 23, 2002. During the overhaul, the electrical harness for the landing gear position sensors and antiskid transducers was removed and replaced. The overhaul interval was 12 years (plus a grace period of 5 months) or 6,000 landings, whichever came first. As a result, a landing gear overhaul should have been performed no later than December 23, 2014.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

Examination of the accident site as well as runway and tire track evidence showed that the airplane departed the left edge of the runway near the departure end, traveled across the flat grassy area at the end of the runway, continued down a 50-foot embankment, and came to rest on the airport perimeter road about 425 ft from the runway. The wreckage was oriented on a heading of about 160°. There was no fire. Fuel was observed leaking from the wings at the accident site. The nose landing gear was separated and found about midway down the embankment. The fuselage was separated immediately aft of the cockpit area. The slats and flaps were extended. Both the right and left airbrakes (spoilers) were extended. Both main landing gear were fractured at the trunnion and displaced aft into the flaps.

A review of the airplane braking system components at the scene of the accident showed that the parking brake handle was in the stowed position and the brake switch was found in the "#1-ON" position. Next to the brake switch was a sticker indicating, "ATA# 32-5 'INOP' DATE: 9/27/18" (ATA code 32-5 involves the antiskid system). Detailed examination of the wheel speed transducers that the antiskid system used showed signs of field splices on the right-side inboard and outboard transducers and no signs of field splices on the left-side inboard and outboard transducers.

Computed tomography performed on the antiskid system components revealed a broken solder joint on the left-side inboard transducer and a bent pin connection on the right-side inboard transducer. Functional tests of the antiskid wheel speed transducers revealed a failure in the operation of the left-side inboard wheel speed transducer; the other three transducers passed their respective functional tests. Visual inspection of the wiring for the right-side wheel speed transducers found that the wiring to the right outboard transducer was reversed.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Autopsies of the pilot and copilot were performed by the Office of the Medical Examiner, County of Greenville, South Carolina. Their cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries.

Toxicology testing of the pilot was performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory. The results for the pilot were negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. The results for the copilot were negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol; ketamine, an anesthetic that
is often used during attempted resuscitation, was detected in the copilot's specimens.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

According to the pilot who conducted four flights in the airplane before the accident flight, upon application of the brakes with the brake switch in the "#1-ON" position, braking was normal at low speeds (estimated to be 15-20 knots) but at faster speeds, no braking was available. Braking was restored when the brake switch was placed in the "#2-OFF" position. This pilot stated that he reported the brake system failure to the company's director of maintenance after the first two flights (in late August and early September 2018) and indicated his belief that the source of the problem was the antiskid system. This pilot also stated that the last two flights occurred 7 and 8 days before the accident flight and that the accident pilot was the copilot for all four flights.

None of the available maintenance records indicated the brake system issue or showed maintenance actions that were performed to resolve the issue.

According to the abnormal procedures section of the airplane's flight manual, a failure of the (normal) brake system or an inoperative antiskid system in-part required the flight crew to move the brake switch to the "#2 / OFF" position. The manual also stated that if both normal and emergency braking was inoperative, that the thrust reverser and parking brake could be used to bring the airplane to a stop. 

History of Flight

Prior to flight
Aircraft inspection event

Landing-landing roll
Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) (Defining event)
Runway excursion

After landing
Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline Transport
Age: 49, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s):None 
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine; Instrument Airplane
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 1 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 08/07/2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  11650 hours (Total, all aircraft)

Co-Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 66, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 03/22/2017
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 
Flight Time:  5500 hours (Total, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Dassault
Registration: N114TD
Model/Series: FALCON 50 Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1980
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Transport
Serial Number: 17
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 12
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 08/27/2014, Continuous Airworthiness
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 40780 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 0 Hours
Engines: 3 Turbo Fan
Airframe Total Time: 14002.8 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Honeywell
ELT: C91 installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: TFE-731
Registered Owner: Global Aircraft Acquisitions LLC
Rated Power: hp
Operator: Air America Flight Services INC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand Air Taxi (135)

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KGMU, 1048 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1353 EDT
Direction from Accident Site: 18°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 6 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: 210°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 22°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: St Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (PIE)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: Greenville, SC (GMU)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 1230 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class D

Airport Information

Airport: Greenville Downtown (GMU)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 1048 ft
Runway Surface Condition:Dry 
Runway Used: 19
IFR Approach: RNAV
Runway Length/Width: 5393 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries:2 Fatal 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 2 Serious
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious

Latitude, Longitude: 34.839444, -82.348611 (est)

Location: Greenville, SC
Accident Number: ERA18FA264
Date & Time: 09/27/2018, 1346 EDT
Registration: N114TD
Aircraft: Dassault FALCON 50
Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On September 27, 2018, about 1346 eastern daylight time, a Dassault Falcon 50 business jet, N114TD, operated by Air American Flight Services, Inc., was substantially damaged when it overran the departure end of runway 19 at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU), Greenville, South Carolina. The airline transport pilot (ATP) seated in the left cockpit seat and private pilot seated in the right cockpit seat were fatally injured, and the two passengers received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that departed St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida, destined for GMU. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Air traffic control personnel at GMU reported that the airplane touched down "normally" at a normal touchdown point on runway. They saw the airplane's sole thrust reverser on the center (No. 2) engine deploy; the controllers then watched as the airplane "did not decelerate" as it continued down the runway. An airport security video captured the airplane's touchdown and confirmed that the No. 2 thrust reverser and the airbrakes were deployed. The video also showed the airplane as it continued down to the end of the runway and then went over an embankment.

First responders reported that all three engines were operating at full power for at least 20 minutes after the accident with, one engine running until about 40 minutes after the accident.

Initial examination of the accident site, runway, and tire track evidence showed that the airplane departed the left edge of runway 19 near the departure end, traveled across the flat grassy area at the end of the runway, continued down a 50-foot embankment, and came to rest on the airport perimeter road about 425 feet from the runway. The wreckage was oriented on a heading of about 160°. There was no fire. Fuel was observed leaking from the wings at the accident site. The nose landing gear was separated and found about midway down the embankment. The fuselage was separated immediately aft of the cockpit area, near fuselage station 14. The slats and flaps were extended. Both the right and left airbrakes (spoilers) were extended. Both main landing gear were fractured at the trunnion and displaced aft into the flaps. The braking anti-skid switch was in the No. 1 position, and there was an "INOP" (inoperative) placard next to the switch, dated the day of the accident. The Nos. 2 and 3 fire handles were pulled. The parking brake was in the normal (off) position.

The left seat pilot held an ATP certificate with a type rating for the Falcon 50 with a limitation for second-in-command only. He also held type ratings for Learjet and Westwind business jets. He held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class medical certificate issued on August 7, 2108; at that time, he reported 11,650 total hours of flight experience.

The right seat pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multiengine land. He did not hold an instrument rating. He held a FAA second-class medical certificate issued on March 27, 2017,and on that date, he reported 5,500 total hours of flight experience.

At 1353, the recorded weather at GMU included wind from 210° at 6 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, temperature 27°C, dew point 22°C, and a barometric altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.

The airplane was retained for further examination. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Dassault
Registration: N114TD
Model/Series: FALCON 50 Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Air America Flight Services INC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand Air Taxi (135) 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KGMU, 1048 ft msl
Observation Time: 1353 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 22°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 210°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: St Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (PIE)
Destination:  Greenville, SC (GMU) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 2 Serious
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 34.839444, -82.348611 (est)

Stephen George Fox 
April 27, 1952 - September 27, 2018

It is with great sadness that the family of Stephen George Fox Steve of Indian Rocks Beach, FL announces his passing on September 27, 2018 at the age of 66. Steve was born April 27,1952 in Toronto, Ontario. He was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Fox and is survived by his mother, Joan Fox; and brothers Micheal (Karen), and David (Ruth Anne).

Steve was a true Patriarch of his family and was larger than life, he loved being on the water and boating. Steve started flying in 1997, and it became a great passion, he eventually purchased a flight school. He lived as Marc Anthony wrote; If you do what you love, youll never work a day in your life. He was protective over his loved ones. He was a good friend to many. And if there was something he could do for you, he would.

Steve was married to Valerie Ann Fox, for 46 years. He is survived by his sons, Christopher (Stephanie), Timothy (Deanna), Travis (Rachel) and his grandchildren, Amanda, Nicholas, Mathew, Adam, Aaron, Ryan, Brittany, Ashleigh Regimbald, Courtney Regimbald, and Makenna Regimbald. He was preceded by his daughter Dawn Lynn and grandson Austin.

In lieu of flowers, Steve would have wanted you to make a donation to a cause that matters to you, or spend your money and your time showing someone you love how much they mean to you.

Memorial Service details to be determined in the near future.

http://beyondthedash.com

A Tampa health care executive and her husband were the two passengers who survived a jet crash in Greenville, S.C. that killed the pilot and co-pilot last week.

Marci Wilhelm and husband Steve Rose were on board the Dassault Falcon 50 that rolled off the runway and crashed after landing at the Greenville Downtown Airport on Sept. 27, according to Susan Salka, president and CEO of AMN Healthcare.

AMN purchased MedPartners, the Tampa-based health care staffing firm Wilhelm founded, for $195 million earlier this year, according to a news release at the time. Wilhelm stayed on as CEO.

"We are more than co-workers at AMN — we are family," Salka said in the statement. "Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the pilots who lost their lives in the accident, and right now everyone at MedPartners and AMN Healthcare is focused on doing all we can — both personally and at work — to help Marci and Steve as they heal. It will take patience and hard work, but fortunately both are expected to make a strong recovery."

After rolling off the runway, the jet plunged down a grassy embankment and came to rest on a road. The fuselage split into two pieces behind the cockpit.

Rose posted a public update on his Facebook page Wednesday saying he and Wilhelm were involved in "a chartered plane crash" and have "significant injuries that will take long recoveries" but doctors are optimistic both will make a full recovery.

"It’s nothing short of a miracle!!!!!" the post said. "We are overwhelmed by the thoughts, prayers, and offers of assistance from all over the country and beyond. You are all truly amazing. THANK YOU!!!

In the post, Rose and Wilhelm offered sympathies to the families of the two men killed in the crash, pilot John Christian Caswell of Port St. Lucie and co-pilot Stephen George Fox of Indian Rocks Beach.

Fox, 66, owned two flight services companies, Clearwater Aviation and Air America Flight Services, that provide charters and pilot training. Clearwater Aviation is a sub-tenant at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.

The couple’s Facebook post thanked friends and family who helped protect the couple’s identity in the days after the crash. Federal and local authorities had refused to name the couple.

"We have actually had a few smiles over being referred to as ‘Unnamed married couple’ for the last five days," the post says. "There may be a tattoo in that somewhere down the road."

"We are in a marathon not a sprint," the post concludes. "Our goal is to get healthy enough to travel and then make our way back to Tampa to finish recovery. We look forward to seeing you all then."

Federal authorities have said the flight originated from St. Petersburg. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the crash. A preliminary report is expected later this month.

The Times reported this week that federal records show neither pilot was qualified to fly the Falcon 50.

Caswell had "second-in-command privileges only" for a Falcon 50 jet, meaning he could only fly that type of jet as a co-pilot with someone who has a pilot-in-command rating, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airmen Registry.

No Stephen Fox or Stephen George Fox in the registry has a pilot-in-command or second-in-command rating for the Falcon 50, FAA records show. The records also indicate Fox was certified only as a private pilot, which means he wouldn’t be legally permitted to pilot or co-pilot a chartered flight. And the records show Fox was certified only for visual flight and didn’t have the rating required to fly an aircraft like the Falcon 50 under instrument flight rules.

https://www.tampabay.com

Pilots Stephen Fox and John Caswell had flown planes for thousands of hours between them at the time of a jet crash that claimed their lives last week in South Carolina.

But federal records show neither man had the certification required to fly the Dassault Falcon 50 jet that slid off the runway of the Greenville Downtown Airport on Thursday, killing both of them and injuring two passengers on board.

Authorities identified Caswell, 49, of Port St. Lucie, as the pilot, but he wasn’t certified to act as the "pilot in command" of a Falcon 50 jet, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airmen Registry. Caswell’s registry entry shows he has a "second-in-command privileges only" for that type of aircraft, meaning he could only fly as a co-pilot with someone who has a pilot-in-command rating.

Fox, a 66-year-old Indian Rocks Beach man who owns two Pinellas County-based flights services companies, was identified as the co-pilot, but no Stephen Fox or Stephen George Fox in the registry has a pilot-in-command or second-in-command rating for the Falcon 50. Fox was certified only for visual flight and didn’t have the rating required to fly an aircraft under instrument flight rules.

"He was not qualified to be on that flight deck, period," said Robert Katz, a Dallas, Texas-based flight instructor and veteran pilot who tracks plane crashes across the nation. "What we’re looking at here is an unqualified crew."

Pilots earn pilot-in-command certification from the FAA after completing hours of training specific to an aircraft. That Fox and Caswell lacked so-called type rating for the Falcon 50 indicates they haven’t had training for that jet, Katz said.

Caswell was certified as an air transport pilot and flight instructor and had type ratings to fly Lear and Gulfstream jets, FAA records show.

"Each aircraft is its own animal," Katz said. "We’re talking apples and oranges and pears."

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the crash. NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss said Monday the agency is focused on collecting evidence at the scene and did not have information on the pilots’ ratings. FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen also could not confirm the pilots’ ratings but said the Airmen Registry reflects the latest information available.

An NTSB investigator said at a news conference last week that Caswell and Fox had significant experience flying, with Caswell logging 11,600 hours and Fox 5,500 hours. The investigator did not address which aircraft type ratings the pilots held.

Airport officials said the plane appeared to land normally about 1:40 p.m. but then slid off the runway and fell 40 to 50 feet down an embankment at the end of the runway, causing the fuselage split behind the cockpit. Caswell died at the scene. Fox was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Officials said visibility was not a factor in the crash.

Authorities said the two passengers on board were a married couple but have not released their names or where they live. The flight originated in St. Petersburg, according to the NTSB, but the airport has not been identified.

Fox is listed in Florida state records as the registered agent for Air America Flight Services Inc. and Clearwater Aviation. The companies are headquartered at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport and provide executive flight charters, aircraft management, maintenance services and pilot training, according to their websites. Air America also has a location in West Palm Beach.

A friend of Fox’s told the Tampa Bay Times last week that Fox ran the business with his sons. One of the sons, Travis Fox, declined to comment last week and did not immediately return messages this week.

A page on Air America’s site features photos of a Falcon 50, a sleek aircraft with three engines that seats nine in a plush, leather-appointed cabin. The jet has a range of 3,400 miles and top speed of 400 knots, the website says.

FAA records show the Falcon 50 that crashed is owned by Global Aircraft Acquisitions LLC of Delaware. The plane was manufactured in 1982, making it 36 years old.

It was still unclear Monday if the plane had been hired as a charter. If so, the pilots were violating regulations governing charter companies and putting their passengers at risk by flying without the proper qualifications, Katz said. He said such a violation could void any insurance coverage on the aircraft.

Violating charter regulations could also lead to sanctions for a charter company, including revocation of its air carrier certificate, said Jacqueline Rosser, senior advisor at the National Air Transportation Association, a trade group in Washington, D.C.

A preliminary crash report is expected in two to three weeks and a full report will take 12 to 18 months.


Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.tampabay.com

Steve Fox wanted his family business to live on after him.

Passionate about flying and about his air charter company, Fox once asked buddy Jim Collier to make clear to Fox’s sons how much he wanted them to carry on with Air America Flight Services after he was gone.

"He said, ‘If anything happens to me, tell those boys to keep that place going," Collier recalled.

On Thursday, tragedy did befall the family.

Fox, 66, of Indian Rocks Beach was killed when a jet in his company’s fleet crashed shortly after landing in South Carolina, authorities said.

Fox was co-pilot aboard a Dassault Falcon 50 when the triple-engine plane ran off the runway at Greenville Downtown Airport and fell 40 to 50 feet before the fuselage split behind the cockpit, airport officials said. Fox was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The other pilot, 49-year-old John Christian Caswell of Port St. Lucie, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

Two passengers, a husband and wife, survived but are in serious condition, officials said.

Authorities said the reason for the crash was not immediately clear but the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Voice recordings, air traffic control recordings from minutes before the crash and surveillance video from nearby businesses will help provide answers to what happened as the plane arrived at the airport, Dan Boggs, air safety investigator with NTSB, told reporters at a news conference Friday, according to the Greenville News.

Boggs said a crane was brought in to help remove a voice recorder from the belly of the plane, the News reported. Investigators weren’t sure whether the plane, a 1982 model, had a flight data recorder due to its age. Boggs said the plane was flying from Tampa and Greenville was it’s final destination. The report did not specify which airport in Tampa.

Boggs said both Caswell and Fox had significant experience flying, logging 11,600 hours and 5,500 hours, respectively. A preliminary crash report is expected in two to three weeks and a full report will take 12 to 18 months.

The plane appeared to land successfully before it ran off the runway, Joe Frasher, the airport’s director, said at a news conference Thursday.

"We all saw it land and for some reason it did not stop," he said.

After leaving the runway, the plane plunged down a grassy embankment, crashed through a fence and came to rest on Airport Road. Crews cleaned up fuel that spilled from the plane.

Frasher said Thursday evening that one of the injured passengers was able to speak and the other was in surgery. Their names have not been released.

Frasher called it the worst crash the Greenville airport has seen in 20 years.

"We have aircraft this large and larger routinely land at this ramp," he said. "It’s very rare that this has happened."

FAA records show that the plane is owned by Global Aircraft Acquisitions LLC of Delaware. Its two previous owners were companies in Pinellas County.

Fox is listed in Florida state records as the registered agent for Air America Flight Services Inc. and Clearwater Aviation. The companies are headquartered at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport and provide executive flight charters, aircraft management, maintenance services and pilot training, according to their websites. Air America also has a location in West Palm Beach.

Clearwater Aviation is a tenant at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport, said airport spokeswoman Michelle Routh.

A man who answered a phone number listed for the businesses declined to comment Friday.

A page on Air America’s site features photos of a Falcon 50, a sleek aircraft that seats nine in a plush leather-appointed cabin. The jet has a range of 3,400 miles and top speed of 400 knots, the website says.

Fox ran the company with his sons Travis and Tim, according to Collier, a Hudson accountant who knew Steve Fox for about 13 years and used to do his books. Fox lived in Indian Rocks Beach with his wife Valerie, Collier said.

Steve Fox was not rated to captain a jet like the Dassault, so for flights like the one on Thursday, he served as co-pilot and got someone else to captain the aircraft, according to Collier.

Collier is not a pilot but said he has fond memories of flying with Fox over the men’s 13-year friendship.

"When the Lord says you’re going, you’re going," Collier said. "I’m going to miss him. He was just one hell of a guy."

Collier picked up the phone Friday morning and called Travis Fox, who was waiting for more details on the crash, and delivered his message as requested: Remember your father wanted you to keep the business going.

"He’s so distraught," Collier said, "but he’s in there at work."

Original article can be found here ➤  https://www.tampabay.com

The Greenville County Coroner has identified the pilot killed in a jet crash at the Greenville Downtown Airport Thursday. 

John Christian Caswell, 49, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was pronounced dead about an hour after the crash occurred, according to a release from the coroner's office. 

Caswell's co-pilot, Stephen George Fox, of Indian Rocks, Florida, also died when the mid-sized jet tried to land at the Greenville Downtown Airport but ran off the runway and split in two, causing a fuel leak that emergency crews rushed to contain.

The reason for the crash was unclear.

The Coroner's Office said the plane overshot the runway, with the fuselage breaking at the cabin after the jet crashed on Tower Drive. Witnesses said the plane appeared to land without a problem until it overshot the runway and barreled down a steep embankment.

“We all saw it land, and for some reason it did not stop," airport director Joe Frasher said.

The passengers were a married man and woman. They are in critical condition at the hospital, Greenville Fire Department spokesman Tristan Johnson said.

Hospital spokeswoman Sandra Dees said she couldn't share details of the patients' conditions. Frasher said he understood that one of the passengers was in surgery and the other was speaking.

The remaining pilot was still inside the aircraft hours after the crash, with a sheet draped over the cockpit as federal investigators were dispatched from Columbia.

The crash, involving a Dassault Falcon 50 model commonly used in business travel, is the worst in at least 20 years at the airport, Frasher said. The jet was likely landing to pick up more passengers when it ran off a runway embankment and hit nose first, he said.

“In maybe 20 years, we might have had three to four minor incidents and this is probably the most serious,” Frasher said. “We have aircraft this large and larger routinely land at this ramp. It’s very rare that this has happened.”

The roads near the airport will be closed for some time, Police Chief Ken Miller said. 

The fuel leak had been contained to nearby Haywood Road, Fire Chief Steve Kovalcik said. The streams aren't deep in the area, so Kovalcik said "we expect the next good rain we get we'll see more fuel."

Miller encouraged people not to swim downstream, particularly near Haywood Road, nor smoke near the waterway for fear of igniting remnant fuel.

Sam Grice, a flight instructor at the airport who just finished landing from an earlier flight before the crash, said he saw the plane landing, but then looked away and didn't realize it had crashed.

"I feel like it flared, and he just kind of floated a little bit," Grice said. "All of the sudden, right before I walked inside, people were like, 'That jet just ran off the runway.'"

The jet engine was running after it crashed until the gear could be disengaged.

Details from the scene at the airport after the plane crash can be heard in audio captured by LiveATC.net.

Shortly after 1:40 p.m. a man can be heard saying, “As of now, they’re off the runway.”

“I’ve got the Fire Department on the way,” the second voice responds

Then later, a man says, “They are off the runway, they are off the runway in the embankment, the engines are running."

“Are the people on or off the plane? Do you see any people?” another man responds to him.

Then a few minutes later, a man says: "Emergency response is on site."

Kathryn Johnson, of Greenville, lives close to the airport and said she comes to the south ramp often to watch planes take off and land. She said seeing there was a crash is “awful.”

“It’s beautiful. It’s a great airport. You never see anything like this,” she said. “The planes take off here effortlessly.”

The plane is registered to Global Aircraft Acquisitions LLC, based in Delaware. No further information about the company was available through public records.

The crash was the second high-profile wreck involving a plane at the airport within the past two months.

A Beechcraft BE58 belonging to the owner of Halls Chophouse went off the runway and down an embankment during landing on Aug. 3. Everyone on board survived.

Evans said his office was thankful more passengers weren't on the jet during Thursday's crash.

“We’re just lucky that there weren’t any more passengers, souls on the plane," he said. "We’ve only got four to work with and that’s what we’re thankful for.”

The manner of death for the pilots was ruled an accident, the Coroner's Office said. The cause of death for both is pending an investigation.


Original article ➤  https://www.greenvilleonline.com

(WSPA) - Two people died and two people were critically injured after a jet crashed at the Greenville Downtown Airport Thursday afternoon.

According to Greenville Police Department spokesperson Donnie Porter, the call about the crash came in around 1:40 p.m. Porter said the plane ran off the runway and crashed.

Greenville County Coroner Jeff Fowler confirmed that two people died following the crash.

Greenville City Fire spokesperson Tristan Johnson confirmed that the two people who died were the pilot and the co-pilot of the plane.

Johnson said that the two people injured in the crash are married and are currently in critical condition.

Greenville Memorial Hospital officials told us that three people were taken to the hospital following the crash.

During a second news conference Thursday, City of Greenville Fire Chief Steve Kovalcik said that one of the three people that were taken to the hospital died at the hospital, and said the other deceased person was still in the crashed jet.

According to Kovalcik, after the plane ran off the runway, there was a small fire. The fire has since been put out.

Kovalcik said the two deceased people -- the pilot and the co-pilot -- are both men. He said the two men appeared to have died from injuries related from the crash, but said an autopsy will be performed to confirm their cause of death.

Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board officials are currently en route to the scene to investigate the crash.

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control officials have also responded to the scene because of fuel that leaked from the plane.

Officials said the fuel leaked off of airport property, but said it has since been contained at Haywood Road. They said some of the fuel was reportedly being absorbed into nearby river banks.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration's website, the plane is registered to Global Aircraft Acquisitions LLC of Lewes Delaware. 

The plane is a Dassault Falcon 50.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.wjbf.com

GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) - The coroner said two people died after a plane crash at the Greenville Downtown Airport Thursday afternoon and officials asked people to avoid the area due to a Hazmat situation.

Witnesses nearby said the plane was broken in half at the edge of Airport Road and the white fence surrounding the airport.

A spokesman for the police department said the jet went off the runway around 1:39 p.m.

Airport Director Joe Frasher said the plane landed on the runway and then, for unknown reasons, could not stop. The plane continued off the runway, across a grassy area, down an embankment, and crashed at the edge of the road.

Four people, two pilots and two passengers, were on board the plane at the time of the crash, Frasher said.

Deputy Coroner Jeff Fowler confirmed just after 3 p.m. that two people had died.

Three people were transported from the scene to the Greenville Health System but a fourth was trapped in the jet, officials said.

A spokesman for the Greenville Fire Department said the pilot and co-pilot died. The survivors were passengers, a married couple, and are in critical condition.

One pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. The other died at the hospital, Coroner Parks Evans said. All of the victims had to be extricated from the plane. 

Greenville police Chief Ken Miller asked people to avoid Airport Road because the jet leaked fuel, leading to a Hazmat situation.

Hazmat crews were working to contain and absorb the fuel, which was flowing downstream toward Haywood Road, Miller said.

Miller said Airport Road would be closed for some time as the FAA and NTSB investigates the crash.

The Dassault Falcon 50, was registered out of Delaware to Global Aircraft Acquisitions.

There is no word yet on where the flight originated.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.foxcarolina.com