KUALA LUMPUR: Insufficient crew training, a lack of awareness and the deviation of established protocols from the crew seating arrangement were found as the contributing factors in the Elmina air crash last year.
The Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in its final report of the incident, said it was 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."
The crash, which primarily resulted from the operation of the lift spoiler system that led to the aircraft losing lift during its approach, was also due to the crew's unfamiliarity with the system.
"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 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 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.
On Aug 17 last year, the six-seater Beechcraft Model 390 Premier 1 aircraft with the registration number N28JV, crashed near Elmina, Shah Alam, Selangor, while approaching Subang Airport from Langkawi, Kedah.
The crash killed all eight people onboard along with two road users.