Gulfstream GIV crash, Jul 13, 2012 (3 killed), Le Castellet
Gulfstream GIV accident on July 13, 2012 near Le Castellet, Var, France with 3 fatalities. Cause: The ground spoilers were not armed and the checklists...
- Date: July 13, 2012
- Aircraft: Gulfstream GIV
- Location: Le Castellet, Var, France
- Fatalities: 3
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: The ground spoilers were not armed and the checklists were not fully completed. A leftward nose gear orientation beyond the rudder range, of possibly steering system origin, took the crew into an uncommanded steering situation for which they had not been trained. The BEA also cited procedures and documentation weaknesses at the manufacturer and operator.
A Gulfstream G-IV on a positioning flight to Le Castellet landed long with its ground spoilers not armed, so the thrust reversers were slow to deploy. The nose wheel then turned left beyond the rudder limit, and the jet left the runway at high speed, hit trees and caught fire. All three crew died as the fire could not be controlled.