The NTSB last month released a cockpit voice recorder transcript as part of its investigation into the Sept. 19, 2008,
overrun crash of a Learjet 60 in Columbia, S.C., which killed two crewmembers and two passengers; two remaining passengers survived with severe burns. According to the NTSB, the Learjet’s pilots attempted to abort the takeoff after a high-speed tire burst. The CVR transcript shows that the pilots realized something was wrong with the aircraft just seconds before the crash. The transcript indicates that the crew heard several sounds, described as “metallic clicks,” some 20 seconds before the recording ended upon impact. Further, the NTSB said there was a “high-frequency sound consistent with brake-pedal application” five seconds after the crew heard the first of the two clicking sounds. Five seconds before the crash, the copilot told the tower controller, “Roll the equipment, we’re goin’ off the end.”