("Mike Rapoport" wrote)
OK that is totally different. Forward speed while climbing in a turbine
aircraft near max altitude is critical not only because of l/d but also
becasue turbine engines produce more power as higher airspeeds as inlet
pressure is higher. Sounds like the pilots of this aircraft operated
outside the airplanes flight envelope and then were unfortunate enough to
have the engines sieze after they flamed out.


The Salt Lake Tribune:
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_2800743
Excerpts from conversations between Pinnacle Airlines Capt. Jesse Rhodes and
First Officer Peter Cesarz just before they died in the crash of a
Bombardier regional jet on Oct. 14, 2004.

Thursday's AvWeb:
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/414-full.html#189978
(scroll down for it)

....And The High Price Of A Good Time

"Aw [expletive] we're gonna hit houses, dude." The NTSB has released new
information -- including cockpit voice excerpts (see NewsWire) -- related to
the Oct. 14 fatal crash of a Pinnacle Airlines regional jet. The pilots were
flying an empty Bombardier CL-600-2B19 and hoping to "have a little fun"
when they decided to climb to the jet's maximum altitude at FL410, according
to transcripts from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) that the NTSB released
this week. The two were ferrying the 50-seat jet from Little Rock, Ark., to
Minneapolis on Oct. 14. A controller questioned the jet's model and altitude
told the pilots, "I've never seen you guys up at 41 there." The crew
responded, "Yeah, we're actually ... we don't have any passengers on board,
so we decided to have a little fun and come up here." Minutes later, the
pilots told controllers first that one and later that both engines had
failed. An automatic system had attempted to lower the nose as the aircraft
lost airspeed at 41,000 feet, but the pilots overrode it. The plane stalled
and turbulent airflow entered the engines, according to NTSB information
obtained by the New York Times. Though the NTSB noted that the aircraft had
been within gliding distance of five suitable airports when the pilots were
first aware of the loss of power, the aircraft did not make a runway. The
pilots had attempted, but were unable, to restart either engine and crashed
more than two miles short of Jefferson City, Mo., airport. They missed the
houses.

Both pilots were killed when the aircraft crashed in a residential
neighborhood at night -- excerpts from their last exchanges suggest they
were trying for a road. According to an NTSB report quoted in The New York
Times, "Investigators formed the impression that there was a sense of allure
to some pilots to cruise at FL 410 just to say they had 'been there and done
that.'" The airline has blamed the pilots for behaving unprofessionally and
disregarding their training. The Air Line Pilots Association has said the
airline's training program was inadequate and that the engines suffered
"core lock" caused by differential cooling when engines are run at high
thrust and suddenly shut down -- an allegation the manufacturer has
rejected. The FAA issued, June 2, a Special Airworthiness Information
Bulletin intended to clarify and promote successful air-restart procedures
in the case of a double engine failure. According to NTSB data, "starter
assist" is required to start engines at altitudes below 15,000 feet and
speeds below 190 knots. The NTSB will investigate whether the aircraft's GE
engines indeed suffered core lock and whether proper technique could have
seen them restarted. Investigative exhibit items from the public docket are
available here.

http://www.ntsb.gov/events/2005/Pinnacle/exhibits/


Montblack