Alerts Sign-up
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reported that a Lockheed 12A Junior Electra, which crashed on June 15 in Chino, California, took off with full flaps despite warnings from the ground crew. The vintage twin-engine aircraft was participating in a Father’s Day event and was rehearsing for a three-plane formation display scheduled later that day.
“During the engine start, the ground crew warned the flight crew with hand and arm signals that the flaps were extended,” stated the preliminary report. “From the ground crews experience and observations with the accident airplane, they felt that the flaps were fully extended during taxi and takeoff on runway 26R.”
The aircraft reached an altitude of no more than 300 feet before it pitched up, veered left, and crashed near the perimeter fence. The plane belonged to Yanks Air Museum, which is based in Chino.
