1 fatal · SCALED COMPOSITES 339 · 2014-10-31 · Koehn Dry Lake, CA, USA
Event
NTSB number
DCA15MA019
Event ID
20141031X74653
Type
Accident
Date
2014-10-31
Location
Koehn Dry Lake, CA, USA
Coordinates
35.326389, -117.944725
Injuries
Highest injury
FATL
Fatal
1
Serious
1
Minor
0
Uninjured
0
Total aboard
2
Aircraft
Make
SCALED COMPOSITES
Model
339
Registration
N339SS
FAR Part
437
Engines
1
Damage
DEST
Conditions
Light
DAYL
Weather
VMC
Probable cause
Scaled Composites' failure to consider and protect against the possibility that a single human error could result in a catastrophic hazard to the SpaceShipTwo vehicle. This failure set the stage for the copilot's premature unlocking of the feather system as a result of time pressure and vibration and loads that he had not recently experienced, which led to uncommanded feather extension and the subsequent aerodynamic overload and in-flight breakup of the vehicle.