On Feb. 2 of this year, a Bombardier Challenger CL-600 ran off Runway 6 while attempting to take off from the Teterboro, N.J., airport. The ensuing crash involved a fence, two cars, a warehouse and a fire … but though four people were seriously hurt, no one, amazingly, was killed. Speculation immediately afterward focused on what role icing might have played in the plane’s inability to become airborne. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, it appears the answer is none. According to the NTSB, when the plane attempted to depart at approximately 7:17 a.m., VFR conditions prevailed and those conditions known to cause icing were practically nonexistent. Videos obtained from the New Jersey Port Authority corresponded with witness reports that said the plane, though traveling at a high speed, did not pitch up during takeoff. Upper wing icing typically does not impede pitch up, but prevents the plane from flying after it DOES pitch up.
Feds Dig Deeper into Challenger Crash …
Key Takeaways:
- A Bombardier Challenger CL-600 overran Runway 6 during takeoff at Teterboro, N.J., resulting in a crash involving property damage and four serious injuries, but no fatalities.
- Initial speculation that icing contributed to the crash has been dismissed by the NTSB, as VFR conditions prevailed and known icing conditions were absent.
- Witness and video reports indicate the aircraft achieved high speed but failed to pitch up during the takeoff attempt, a behavior not typically caused by upper wing icing.
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