KUALA LUMPUR: The cause of the Elmina air crash that occurred last year was due to loss of control inflight, investigators said.
The final report released by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that the primary cause of the accident was the inadvertent extension of the lift dump spoilers, most likely by the pilot who was the second-in-command, during the Before Landing checks.
"This action led to a sudden loss of lift, resulting in a catastrophic loss of control and the subsequent crash. This aviation occurrence is coded as a Loss of Control – Inflight (LOC-I)." said the report, which is available on the Transport Ministry's website today.
The lift-dump spoiler is a device extended to reduce lift on the aircraft's wings, where a pilot would usually bring up the spoilers to kill the lift, keep the plane on the ground, and make the brakes work more efficiently during landing.
The report said that during the accident, the Before Landing checklist included unlocking the ground spoilers – a step likely misunderstood by the pilot's Second-in-Command (SIC), leading to a catastrophic outcome.
"The checklist warns of the risk of deploying ground spoilers in flight, but this warning comes after the item to unlock the system.
"According to the cockpit voice recording, while running through the checklist items before landing, the SIC mistakenly stated one of the checklist items as 'Fuel Dump' instead of 'Lift Dump' according to the aircraft's checklist," read the report.
As such, the insufficient crew training and awareness regarding the operation of the lift dump system contributed to the tragedy as well as the deviation of established protocols from the crew seating arrangement.
"The SIC's unfamiliarity with the specific risks associated with the lift dump system led to the inadvertent extension of the spoilers," read the report adding that it also found that there were ineffective communication and decision-making processes during critical phases of the flight.
"The absence of specific briefings or warnings about the lift dump system operation and the decision to deviate from standard seating protocols underscored deficiencies in communication and decision-making."
The report found that the seating arrangement of the crew deviated from established protocols, with the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) occupying the right-hand seat and the Second-in-Command (SIC) in the left-hand seat, contrary to the Airplane Flight Manual.
"There is evidence indicating that the PIC, who had an RA-390S single-pilot rating, was seated in the right-hand seat, while the SIC, who was not rated on the aircraft but rated as SIC on the Gulfstream IV (another type of private jet), was seated in the left-hand seat.
"This scenario is supported by the testimony of two ground eyewitnesses, the Ground Marshaller and Ground Handler at Langkawi, who saw the aircraft taxi to the holding point before departure."
On Aug 17 last year, the six-seater Beechcraft Model 390 Premier 1 aircraft bearing the registration number N28JV, crashed near Elmina, Shah Alam during its approach into Subang Airport from Langkawi.
The crash killed all eight people onboard along with two road users.