The fatal crash of a small jet owned by Circuit City Stores Inc. last year was caused by pilots flying the plane too slowly, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled Tuesday.
On Feb. 16, the pilots were dealing with ice on the wings and a runway change on approach at the Pueblo airport. The crash killed the two-man crew and six passengers.
Investigators found the pilots were distracted and didn’t notice the airplane had slowed to an unsafe speed.
Board member B.M. Steven Chealander said the flight crew was paying attention but not to the right thing.
“I feel this was a responsible flight crew,” Chealander said. “I feel they got themselves distracted. They were just off their game.”
The twin-jet Cessna Citation C-560 was stopping to refuel when it crashed during a flight from Virginia to California. Both pilots, four employees of the electronics retailer and two representatives of other companies were killed.
There was freezing drizzle and fog in the area, and the crews of three other planes had reported icing conditions. Ice accumulating on wings can disturb the smooth air flow needed to keep an airplane aloft.
