314 Falcon Jet, N283SA Black Hole Crash in Georgia – with Rob Mark + GA News

Aviation News Talk podcast

Host Max Trescott discusses the fatal crash of a Falcon jet in Georgia with aviation expert Rob Mark. The NTSB final report revealed a series of factors contributing to the accident. These included misreading a NOTAM regarding the ILS glideslope, difficulty entering the initial approach fix into the navigation system, high and fast arrival at the final approach fix, unauthorized use of airbrakes. It’s also possible that they didn’t realize the ILS approach required flying a procedure turn. They were also flying a black hole approach in dark night conditions with minimal ground lights, but apparently weren’t referencing the PAPI visual indicator.

The captain, aged 73, had extensive flight experience but had undergone retraining due to unsatisfactory performance in certain areas. The first officer, aged 63, had a significant number of flight hours, but received only a Second in Command (SIC) type rating, because of performance issues.

The podcast delves into the transcript of communications between the flight crew and Atlanta Center, highlighting confusion regarding NOTAMs and the approach procedure. The crew, flying a cargo route from El Paso to Thomson, Georgia, requested information on the ILS approach, but there was a misunderstanding regarding the status of the glideslope and localizer. The approach required a procedure turn, which the crew seemingly missed, leading to an unstable approach.

There were delays in programming the initial approach fix (IAF) into the navigation system, possibly due to confusion over the fix's identification. The crew ultimately crossed the IAF at an altitude significantly higher than prescribed, leading to a steep descent to intercept the glideslope.

Max created a software simulation of the final minutes of the flight that revealed a rapid descent rate and an unstable approach. Despite warnings from the captain about being high, attempts to correct the descent were ineffective, ultimately resulting in impact with trees just short of the runway. This was a classic black hole approach, in which there are few lights on the ground before the runway. A Boeing simulator study of a black hole approach showed that pilots consistently crash short of the runway, and so they must have either an electronic or visual glide slope. During this accident, the glide slope was out of service.

If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, the Cash app, Zelle or Patreon.

Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk. Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1199 Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $899Lightspeed Sierra Headset $699 My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu

Send us your feedback or comments via email

If you have a question you’d like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone.

News Stories

• 2 dead after airplane crash near Utah-Colorado border
• Grumman GA-7 Cougar Twin crashes in Pennsylvania
• FAA warns US Congress against hiking airline pilot retirement age
• AOPA mobilizes members, pilot organizations to fight egregious FBO fees
• Geese located in the debris field of a Bell 206 crash
• In battle of birds vs plane, birds win
• Touch and goes banned at KTOA, the Torrance, CA Airport
• ForeFlight announced for Apple’s $3,499 Vision Pro
• 3 Killed in Aircraft Hangar Collapse in Idaho
• FAA approves Robinson empennage design for R44 helicopters
• Bonanza Crashes Into Home, Three Killed

Mentioned on the Show #299 Flying Tips from a Military CFI for General Aviation Google Podcasts is going away after March Rob Mark’s JetWhine.com blog

Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk

So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification

Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we’ll make a couple of dollars if you do.

Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android.

Check out Max’s Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/

Social Media Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook Follow Max on Instagram Follow Max on Twitter Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium

"Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.