Bombardier Challenger 600 series aircraft has history of fatal crashes, records show
The Bombardier Challenger 600 series aircraft like the one flying from Ohio State University to Fort Launderdale when it crashed Friday along Interstate 75 near Naples, Florida, has been involved in several fatal crashes since 2000, a review by The Columbus Dispatch found.
Two people were killed and three others were identified as survivors after Friday's fiery crash, which occurred after a pilot on the private charter Hop-A-Jet attempted to make an emergency landing at Naples Airport. In his final transmissions, a pilot reported the aircraft had lost both engines and was not going to make it to the airport.
Read More: How often do jets like one that took off from Ohio State and crashed in Florida go down?
According to National Transportation Safety Board and Aviation Safety Network records, Friday's crash of the Hop-A-Jet was at least the seventh fatal crash involving that series of Bombardier private jets since 2000.
While some of the crashes were because of issues with the aircraft, some were also because of pilot error or other factors, the reports indicated.
Representatives of Bombardier Inc., a private business jet manufacturer based in Montreal, Canada, could not be reached Friday night for comment.
Here is a list of the crashes from NTSB and Aviation Safety Network records:
On Oct. 10, 2000, pilots of a Bombardier Challenger operated by Canadair Limited were conducting a test flight in Wichita, Kansas, according to an NTSB report. As the plane was ascending, it made a hard bank right that led the wing of the plane to make contact with the ground, where it was then destroyed on impact. All three people aboard died. The NTSB ruled the crash was the result of pilot error, citing "excessive takeoff rotation" by the pilot and a lack of operational oversight by Transport Canada and the Federal Administration.
On Nov. 28, 2004, a Bombardier CL-600 operated by Air Castle Corporation collided with the ground during an attempted takeoff from Montrose, Colorado, that was traveling to South Bend, Indiana. According to an NTSB report, the cause of the crash was the accumulation of ice on the airplane's wings. The report also cited the pilots' lack of experience in flying in winter weather conditions. Of the six people who were on board, the pilot, co-pilot, and flight attendant died in the crash.
On Jan. 5, 2014, a Bombardier CL-600 crashed while attempting to land at the airport in Aspen, Colorado. One crewmember died and two others were seriously injured, the NTSB reported. According to an NTSB report, the aircraft crashed due to "the flight crew's failure to maintain airplane control during landing following an un-stabilized approach."
On March 11, 2018, a Bombardier Challenger 604 private jet was returning from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when it crashed into the Zagros Mountains in Iran. All 11 on board the plane died in the crash.
On May 5, 2019, a Canadair Challenger 601-3A crashed while flying out of Las Vegas en route to Monterrey, Mexico. According to the Aviation Safety Network, the pilots lost control of the plane due to a rapid ascension, then nose-dived and crashed into the desert. Two crew members and all 11 passengers on board.
On July 26, 2021, a Bombardier Challenger 605 jet crashed while on approach for a landing at an airport in Truckee, California. According to the NTSB, the pilot and co-pilot attempted an "un-stabilized approach" by using a sharp left turn to align the plane with the runway. Witnesses stated that the plane ended up in a nose-down position before it crashed into trees in a heavily wooded area and caught fire. All six people on board, including the pilot and co-pilot, died in the crash.
@ShahidMeighan
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Bombardier Challenger 600 aircraft series has history of fatal crashes
