Incorrect extension of the lift dump spoilers on a Beechcraft Premier I led to a sudden loss of lift and control that caused the business jet to crash on approach to Kuala Lumpur’s Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. That's according to a just-released final report into the Aug. 17, 2023, fatal accident by Malaysia’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Both pilots and six passengers on board were killed, as well as the drivers of a car and a motorbike.
The report states that the second-in-command (SIC) pilot, who was not type-rated in the Premier I, had been assigned to run through the "Before Landing" checklist for operating some of the controls while the pilot-in-command (PIC) had control of the aircraft. On the cockpit voice recording, the SIC pilot was heard saying “lift dump unlocked” as the third item on the checklist, with the PIC acknowledging this incorrect instruction.
At that point, the aircraft was at 1,000 feet on the final nonprecision approach to the airport’s Runway 15, and the landing gear had already been lowered. Less than two seconds after the PIC acknowledged that the lift dump spoilers had been extended, the SIC was heard expressing concern as multiple cockpit alarms sounded.
The investigators concluded that there was a high probability that the SIC inadvertently extended the lift dump just before running through the rest of the landing checklist. The lift dump handle was confirmed to have been extended when the aircraft wreckage was examined.
In the report published today, the AAIB concluded that the operator had failed to obtain the necessary approvals for nonscheduled air services. It said that other factors contributing to the main cause of the accident included various deviations from standard operating procedures, inadequate crew training, and deficiencies in communication and decision-making.
The 2004 privately-owned aircraft (registered as N28JV) was operated by Jetvalet and had taken off from Langkawi International Airport at 2:08 p.m. local time. It crashed on the Guthrie Highway near Bandar Elmina in Malaysia’s Selangor state.