NTSB – Spaceflight Now

Video shows SpaceShipTwo just before fatal crash

July 29, 2015 Stephen Clark

A video released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane drop from its carrier aircraft, ignite its motor, and prematurely engage its braking system just before disintegrating high above California’s Mojave Desert last October.

SpaceShipTwo mishap due to pilot error and company training oversight

July 28, 2015 William Harwood

The fatal in-flight breakup of Virgin Galactic’s futuristic SpaceShipTwo rocket plane during a test flight last October was the result of pilot error, possibly triggered by a high workload, unfamiliar vibration and rapid acceleration, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded Tuesday.

NTSB provides timeline of SpaceShipTwo mishap

November 4, 2014 William Harwood

Just 13 seconds after Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo began a rocket-powered test flight — and just five seconds after its innovative aero-braking system was inadvertently deployed at supersonic speeds — the spaceplane apparently broke up, killing one pilot and injuring another, according to a National Transportation Safety Board timeline.

Virgin Galactic rocket plane deployed braking system prematurely

November 3, 2014 Stephen Clark

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane disintegrated in mid-air after two tail stabilizers prematurely extended, federal investigators said, a discovery that could shift the focus of the probe into the fatal crash away from the craft’s rocket motor.

SpaceShipTwo crash inquiry could take a year

November 2, 2014 Stephen Clark

Investigators have plenty of evidence to sift through as they look into the cause of the fatal crash of a Virgin Galactic rocket plane, but the acting chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said the inquiry may take up to a year to complete.

VIDEO: NTSB news conference on start of SpaceShipTwo investigation

November 2, 2014 Spaceflight Now

The NTSB’s Acting Chairman Christopher Hart holds a news conference to discuss the start of the investigation into the loss of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane over the Mojave Desert.

VIDEO: First NTSB briefing on Virgin Galactic accident

November 1, 2014 Spaceflight Now

Acting NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart briefs the news media on Saturday, soon after arriving at the Mojave Air & Space Port to begin an investigation into the loss of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.