Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during a short 35-minute flight from Dayton to Akron. As the aircraft approached Akron, the crew was instructed to slow down to maintain separation from a Piper PA-28-161 that was also on approach. The weather was deteriorating, with visibility at 1.5 miles and a low cloud ceiling. The first officer, who was the pilot flying despite company policy usually restricting first officers to empty legs, failed to begin the descent when instructed by ATC. To compensate for being high on the approach path, the first officer initiated a steep descent reaching 2,000 feet per minute, double the standard rate. Simultaneously, the airspeed decayed to 98 knots, nearly 20 knots below the target speed. Although the captain expressed concern about the speed and descent rate, he did not take control of the aircraft. The plane descended below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) without the crew having the runway in sight. As they attempted to level off, the aircraft entered a stall, triggered the stick shaker, and crashed into an apartment building on Mogadore Road.
Final Conclusions
The NTSB determined the probable cause was the flight crew's mismanagement of the approach and multiple deviations from company standard operating procedures (SOPs), leading to an unstabilized approach, descent below MDA without visual contact, and an aerodynamic stall. Contributing factors included Execuflight's casual attitude toward safety standards, inadequate hiring and training oversight (both pilots had been fired from previous jobs for poor performance), and the FAA's insufficient oversight of the operator's training program.
Video Analysis
This Plane Crashed Into a Two-Story Building | Air Disasters — Descending into Akron on November 10, 2015, the pilots of ExecuFlight 1526 decide to land as scheduled in the midst of poor visibility. Minutes later, the plane crashes into a 2-story residence.
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Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Had 3,414 hours as PIC; 670 hours as PIC on type.
First Officer
Had 3,200 hours as PIC in other aircraft; all 482 hours on type were as First Officer.
Systems & Failure Modes
Stick Shaker
A mechanical device that rapidly and noisily vibrates the control yoke to warn the crew of an impending aerodynamic stall.
GPWS
The Ground Proximity Warning System, which provided an aural 'Pull Up' alert just before the impact.
Localizer Approach
A non-precision instrument approach that provides lateral guidance to the runway but requires the crew to manage their own vertical descent profile.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was 286 pounds over its maximum takeoff weight and landing weight due to incorrect weight and balance calculations.
- 02Both pilots had been terminated by previous employers for poor performance or failure to attend training.
- 03The first officer was acting as the pilot flying, which was contrary to Execuflight's standard policy for passenger legs.
- 04The aircraft airspeed decayed to 98 knots, which was almost 20 knots below the normal approach airspeed.
- 05No one on the ground was injured despite the aircraft destroying a four-unit apartment building.
Safety Actions & Advisories
FAA Oversight Improvements
The NTSB recommended that the FAA improve its oversight of Part 135 charter operators, specifically regarding training programs and operational compliance.
Training Center Recommendations
Safety recommendations were issued to Hawker 700 and 800-series training centers to emphasize stabilized approach criteria and stall recovery.