Virgin Galactic SpaceShip2 crashes

[Wade]

2nd major aerospace accident this week

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Crashed During a Test Flight Today - The Atlantic

I just got a news flash that there is at least one dead but don't know if it is one of the pilots

 

[truthseeker]

Hmm, I wonder if they experienced the same issue as this Virgin flight.

Passengers Say Bathroom Breakdown Caused Virgin Australia Flight To Turn Back « CBS Los Angeles

 

[Charlie Prime]

What was the name of the pilot who was killed ?

 

[boomerang]

A little surprised investigators have already released a possible (probable?) cause. The design scheme uses some kind of mechanism that swivels the large vertical stabilizers around 90 degrees upon re-entry to act as flat plates to help slow the craft. I think the are saying that for some reason, this feature was instead deployed during the initial boost phase, causing structural failure. Pilot error? Dunno....

At any rate, a horrible setback for the progress of access to space for civilians.

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

Always accidents look how many test pilots have died over the years testing new aircraft and some times folk forget new technology comes with the cost of blood. RIP

 

[Charlie Prime]

Test pilots are easy to forget too.

Nobody knows the name of the man who was killed. Nobody will remember him.

 

[boomerang]

A little OT. But anyone not having read Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff" is missing a fantastic narrative. The movie is great as well. But the book offers a better insight into the very unique kind of human who becomes a test pilot. Although I'm told the newer breed is much less colorful than those of yore.

 

[Charlie Prime]

The new breed has so little color they can't be remembered when they are killed.

"Yeah, we killed a guy, but you don't need to know his name".

"Stare into our Big Eye and forget...."

 

[manxman]

The pilots.


The dead pilot.

Michael Alsbury

• Aged 39
• Married with two children
• 15 years of flying experience
• First flew in SpaceShipTwo in 2010
• Flew craft's first rocket-powered run in April 2013

 

[Charlie Prime]

VG did finally acknowledge the dead pilot.

Update on the NTSB investigation: November 12, 2014 - NTSB Investigative Update on Crash of Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo

According to the pilot, he was unaware that the feather system had been unlocked early by the copilot. His description of the vehicle motion was consistent with other data sources in the investigation. He stated that he was extracted from the vehicle as a result of the break-up sequence and unbuckled from his seat at some point before the parachute deployed automatically.