The NTSB’s preliminary report on the crash of Sino Swearingen’s SJ30-2 test aircraft is now available online. The report includes comments from the chase-plane pilot who witnessed the event and communicated with Beeler during the accident. The crash may have sparked rumors of the San Antonio company’s imminent demise. “That is not true,” said Sino Swearingen VP Gene Comfort. “I totally flatly deny it … We are working our butts off around here.” Comfort said the test-flight tragedy did set the program back and staff are now trying to get back on track by outfitting the second flying example of the sleek little jet with all the test booms and monitoring equipment needed for test flight. A third example is also nearing its inaugural flight. Comfort said he made the decision to pass up on the opportunity to exhibit at this year’s EAA’s AirVenuture so the test program wouldn’t be further delayed. “They were all really understanding (at EAA),” he said. Comfort wouldn’t elaborate on the revised test-flight schedule but said a news release would be forthcoming. “I can say we are aggressively going after certification,” he said.
Sino Swearingen Regroups After Crash
Key Takeaways:
- The NTSB's preliminary report on the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 test aircraft crash is available online and includes details from a chase-plane pilot who witnessed the event.
- Sino Swearingen denies rumors of its imminent demise following the crash, asserting the company is actively working to overcome the setback.
- The company is prioritizing getting its second and third SJ30-2 jets ready for test flights and skipped EAA AirVenture to avoid further delays, aggressively pursuing certification.
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