Sunday, Nov 02 2014 11:32 AM
Test pilots in tragic crash were Tehachapi residents
By Tehachapi News
One Tehachapi man died and another suffered major injuries Friday when SpaceShipTwo, the rocket-powered space plane being developed at the Mojave Air and Space Port exploded during a test flight.
Tehachapi resident Michael Tyner Alsbury, 39, died in the incident and Peter Siebold, 43, also of Tehachapi, was injured.
The two test pilots were employees of Scaled Composites of Mojave, a firm under contract with Virgin Galactic to develop the private spacecraft that Virgin Galactic's billionaire founder, Sir Richard Branson, hopes will take people into space. Close to 700 aspiring astronauts have paid Virgin thousands of dollars to reserve a seat on SpaceShipTwo. Tickets cost $250,000.
Branson told reporters Saturday that not only had none asked for a refund, but that someone signed up on the day of the accident as a show of support. he also said that none of the money has been spent.
The test pilots
Alsbury lived in Tehachapi with his wife, Michelle Saling, and two children. In 2013 he shared the prestigious Ray E. Tenhoff award given by the Society of Experimental Pilots with Mark Stucky and Clint Nichols of Scaled Composites.
Siebold lives in Tehachapi with his family. For his contribution to the SpaceShipOne project, Siebold, along with Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie, received the 2004 Iven C. Kincheloe Award presented by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
The crash
An eyewitness gave a gripping account of what Virgin Galactic called a total loss.
Douglas Messier, managing editor of Parabolic Arc, a Mojave-based blog that closely covers the commercial space industry, told The Bakersfield Californian on Friday that he was in the Jawbone Canyon area north of Mojave with a photographer attempting to document the test flight.
WhiteKnightTwo, the mother ship that carries SS2 to launch altitude, lifted off the tarmac in Mojave at 9:09 a.m., said Messier, who was clearly shaken by the incident.
“We saw the dual contrails of WhiteKnightTwo,” he said. But when SS2 was released at about 50,000 feet, there seemed to be an issue with the rocket motor, or its fuel, a mixture that has been changed recently after the previous mixture was not getting the job done.
Virgin Galactic has switched its fuel mixture from a rubber-based compound to a plastic-based mix.
Messier was shooting video as the photographer shot still photos.
Messier said they couldn’t be sure, but SS2’s rocket motor seemed to start and then stop. Then they saw debris dropping through the air.
“We saw clouds of dust rise up in the valley below as pieces of the ship hit the ground,” he said. We drove toward one of those.”
When they reached an area near Koehn Dry Lake Bed, about 25 miles north of Mojave, they saw pieces of fuselage, piping and other debris. And they saw what appeared to be a pilot’s seat turned away from them on its side. Out of respect and caution, they did not get too close.
Aftermath
Deputies first located Siebold, who had parachuted to the ground, and later found the body of Alsbury, according to a news release from the Kern County Sheriff.
Sheriff's deputies secured the crash site awaiting arrival of investigators of the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration and a series of press conferences began in Mojave on Friday, continuing through Saturday, with journalists arriving from all over the world.
Branson arrived in Mojave on Saturday morning. In a press conference he said the pilots' bravery cannot be overstated and that the goal of commercial spaceflight remains unchanged.
Not long after the crash, Virgin Galactic released a statement via its website, noting that its partner, Scaled Composites, “conducted a powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo earlier today. During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle. The WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft landed safely."
“Our primary thoughts at this moment are with the crew and family, and we’re doing everything we can for them now," said George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic.
“I’d like to recognize the work of the first responders who we work with in the Antelope Valley for their efforts on behalf of the team. We’re also thinking of the team members that we have at the companies that have been working on this program."
And Branson followed up with a statement about the test pilots.
“The hardest part of the tragic accident is the loss of one of SpaceShipTwo’s brave test pilots, Michael Alsbury," Branson said in his blog. “Someone asked if I knew him. Sadly, I did not know him — because he worked for Scaled Composites — but I had had the privilege of shaking his hand briefly after he’d co-piloted SpaceShipTwo’s first powered flight and on that exciting morning in Mojave I had congratulated him on the achievement.
“Mike was an accomplished test pilot and had worked for Scaled Composites for 13 years. Beyond his skills as a pilot — including 1600 hours of flight time in research aircraft built by his colleagues at Scaled — Mike was a dear friend and inspiring colleague to the many many friends he left behind. My heart goes out to his parents, his wife and children, his sister and the rest of his family and friends."
Branson said he does know Siebold.
“I do have the privilege of knowing Pete Siebold, Scaled’s injured test pilot," he said in his blog. “Pete is Scaled's director of flight operations and among the incredibly dedicated and talented team helping to realize so many people’s dreams of reaching space. We all wish him a speedy recovery."
Whiteside also addressed the future.
“Space is hard and today was a tough day," he said in a statement Friday. “We are going to be supporting the investigation as we figure out what happened today. We’re going to get through it. The future rests in many ways on hard days like this, but we believe we owe it to the team, that has been working so hard on this endeavour, to understand this and to move forward. And that is what we’ll do.”
Branson said, though, that they will not “push on blindly" and that the company would cooperate fully with the investigation into the crash.
Investigation
By early Saturday investigators from the NTSB were on the scene.
In briefings in Mojave Saturday, Christopher Hart, acting chairman of the NTSB, addressed the press twice. He extended his condolences to the family of Alsbury and said he offered “best wishes" to Siebold.
He expressed appreciation to Sheriff Donnie Youngblood for protecting the site and to the FBI for assistance in documenting the wreckage. By Saturday evening debris had been removed from railroad tracks, allowing trains to resume movement through the area.
Hart said there were somewhere between 13 and 15 investigators in Mojave and they were organized into teams to address various factions of the investigation, working closely with representatives of Scaled and Virgin Galactic who he said were cooperating.
He noted that because it was a test flight, there was extensive data that would assist the investigators in finding out what happened so they can prevent it from happening again.
In terms of the investigation, Hart said Saturday night said they know there was an in-flight separation, but haven't determined cause. If in the course of the investigation the NTSB comes across information that warrants immediate attention (by Scaled and Virgin Galactic), recommendations would be shared; otherwise, he said, there was nothing about the investigation that would prevent the companies from continuing whatever work they would like.
Wreckage, he said, was located in a large area oriented northeast to southwest, stretching about five miles.
He said Saturday night that he expects the investigators to be on scene four to seven days, then to begin off-scene continue factual collection, before the factual portion stops and analysis begins.
The analysis, he said, would be by the NTSB and would probably take about a year.
News of the loss spread quickly Friday morning. Friends of the test pilots and others who worked in the industry expressed shock and dismay in social media postings.
Local reaction
Tehachapi City Manager Gregg Garrett is a former vice president for Scaled Composites. Like many Tehachapi residents he knows people involved with the SpaceShipTwo project.
“I was deeply saddened by this mornings news regarding the terrible accident that involved SpaceShipTwo," he said.
“Tehachapi has a special bond with those at Mojave Space Port that risk their lives daily by pushing the envelope to further aviation technology. Aviation pioneers are a special breed of explorers that I respect and honor.
“My heart goes out to those affected and we will be thinking and praying for them," Garrett said.
Kern County Supervisor Zach Scrivner of Tehachapi was among those who traveled to Mojave Friday afternoon to hear initial reports about the tragedy.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of the Scaled Composite test pilot," Scrivner said. “The thoughts and prayers of my family and I, and all of Kern County, are with his family, and for the quick recovery of the second pilot."
He also addressed the space industry's place in Eastern Kern County.
“While this is a tragic occurrence, we cannot lose sight of the great accomplishments of the brave men and women who work in the commercial space industry, nor their contributions to Kern County’s economy, and prestige, and their contributions to human history," Scrivner said. “The work that is done out here in Mojave every day brings our collective dream of reaching beyond our planet one step closer. I fully support and embrace the mission of Virgin Galactic, Scaled Composites, and all the pioneers at the Mojave Air and Spaceport.”
He also thanked first responders from the Kern County Fire Department and Sheriff's Office, and Mercy Air, for getting to the accident site quickly.
Assemblywoman Shannon Grove also released a statement following the crash.
“I know I join everyone from Kern County and the rest of the country in expressing my sorrow over the injury and death of two brave Scaled Composites test pilots,” Grove said. “We grieve with their families and friends over this loss and pray for God’s comfort and a quick recovery for the surviving pilot.
“The Virgin Galactic space program is a source of great pride for Kern County residents,“ she added. “We know these test pilots were doing what they loved most, and we honor their adventurous spirits and the efforts they made towards making the wonders of space travel available to everyone."
Stu Witt, CEO of the Mojave Air & Space Port, also commented Friday afternoon.
"In spite of tragedy, my message is to stay the course. Don't let this stop us advancing in space travel."
Witt also acknowledged the pain.
"It hurts," he said. "We are human here in our test community."
http://www.tehachapinews.com/news/local/x692678446/Test-pilots-in-tragic-crash-were-Tehachapi-residents
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