Reagan National (DCA) Midair Collision Probable Cause + Greg Biffle Citation 550 Preliminary Report
Max talks with co-host Rob Mark about the NTSB’s day-long board hearing on the DCA midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Even though the final report isn’t out yet, the board has already adopted a detailed probable-cause statement with many contributing factors. Max and Rob discuss what that length and tone usually mean: the investigators aren’t pointing at a single “gotcha,” they’re pointing at a system—airspace design, controller procedures, ADS-B policy, and the way military rotorcraft operations are governed and integrated in busy terminal airspace. They also flag the political follow-on: Senator Ted Cruz scheduled a committee hearing focused on the NTSB’s conclusions and recommendations.
Next comes the preliminary report that drew national attention: the Cessna Citation 550 crash near Statesville, North Carolina involving NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. The aircraft was N257BW, and the discussion centers on how quickly small anomalies can turn into a chain. The early report describes a VFR departure with an intent to pick up IFR in the air, radio workload while trying to activate the flight plan, and cockpit comments suggesting the left-side flight instruments and altitude indications weren’t behaving normally. Max also points out a technical clue: a mismatch between barometric ADS-B altitude and GPS-derived altitude that appears to “freeze” for roughly half a minute—exactly the kind of subtle failure that can leave a crew arguing with the panel instead of flying the airplane.
They walk through the sequence described in the prelim: configuration changes for a return toward the runway, a period where cockpit audio quality degraded, and a cockpit exchange about power that hints at a lost or interrupted electrical source before systems stabilized again. The larger lesson is one GA pilots often underestimate when stepping up to turbines: when the “basic” references are suspect, every other task—navigation, configuration changes, even just holding a stable climb—gets harder. The report’s operational kicker is blunt: the left-seat pilot held a “second in command required” limitation, yet the right-seat occupant did not meet SIC qualification requirements—an avoidable risk that should never make it off the ramp. Max and Rob also tackle the uncomfortable human factor: does having a celebrity in the back subtly push pilots to press on, accept thinner margins, or “make it work” instead of taking the boring, safe option?
From there the show widens to other accidents and what they teach. A Cirrus SR20 G6 registered as G-GXVV crashed near Littleborough, Great Manchester, England after CAPS deployment; the chute was reportedly seen in power lines and the suspension lines may have separated, a rare and terrifying example of how terrain and obstacles still matter even when the parachute works. In the U.S., a Cirrus SR22 (N705CD) suffered an engine failure near Lexington, South Carolina and attempted to divert to White Plains Airport (C99). Max and Rob dig into the hard truth: without power, margins collapse fast, and trying to “make the runway” can tempt pilots into low-altitude maneuvering and slow flight right at the edge of stall. They talk through practical strategies for losing altitude while staying aligned with a landing option—figure-eights, spirals, S-turns—and why you should have that plan before the day you actually need it.
Rob then summarizes the preliminary report on a Beech 36 Bonanza, N5677X, that went down near Sabine, Texas on an IFR flight. The track shows level cruise followed by a sudden right descending turn after entering moderate rain. Whether it was hand-flying, an autopilot disconnect, turbulence, or spatial disorientation, the takeaway is the same: instrument skills (and a capable autopilot you actually trust) are life insurance. They note how older autopilots can quit right when precipitation and turbulence show up, and why modern autopilot upgrades can be a meaningful safety investment.
The episode also covers a Beechcraft King Air 350i, ANX1209, operated for the Mexican Navy that crashed near Galveston, Texas, impacting West Bay in near-zero conditions. The discussion focuses on approach clarity, readback errors, language/communication friction, and low-altitude alerts—classic ingredients in a controlled flight into terrain/water scenario, especially on a night or in visibility that’s effectively “zero-zero.”
Finally, they hit two final reports. A Cirrus SR22, N969SS, crashed at Lafayette, Georgia during commercial training while practicing a power-off 180; data suggests an undershoot, a pitch-up “stretch,” and a stall/spin too low to recover. And a Beechcraft 23 Musketeer, N6945Q, crashed near Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City after takeoff following oil starvation and connecting-rod failure—evidence pointed to a significant oil-system leak that the pilot likely never saw during taxi, run-up, or the hold short.
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