From #167 above . . .
http://www.pprune.org/members/75111-brian-abraham
Comments from an experienced pilot on type
“He explained that part of the Gulfstream takeoff procedure includes feeling the controls lighten as air moves across the tail surfaces early in the takeoff roll. “If we don’t feel that by 60 knots or so, it’s an automatic abort,” he added, while also questioning the takeoff speeds mentioned in the report. “At a light [takeoff] weight, the V1 speed of the GIV should have been about 118 knots,” he said, “with rotation at about 124.” This prompted him to question why the aircraft reached a speed of 165 knots before the crew aborted the takeoff.”
I’m guessing the pilot in charge will buy the accident because he did not start the reject procedure in time to stop the airplane on the available runway.
That whatever the problem with the control(s) might have been there was time for a proper reject of the takeoff.
But it will be most important to discover the reason for the question on the flight controls.
Modern aircraft are so good that you only get to try emergency procedures in the simulator, and when something does go wrong in the real world it tends to be something strange not practiced in those sim rides.
I’ve heard some scary stories about flying the rich folks around and some of the tiny airports they fly into. It has never been a world I wanted any part of, but admittedly the newer airplanes look very nice indeed. But the pilot is always the first to arrive at the scene of the accident, and they seldom get a voice in the investigation.
Given the high quality of the crew and a really first class airplane, I would have been happy to be aboard that flight because Lewis Katz was a class guy who took good care of people. Everyone involved was doing their very best, but sometimes Fate decides that isn’t enough.
But that won’t be mentioned in the final accident investigation report.