Accidents
NTSB Probes Hazardous Hawker Stall Test Flight Crashes
Accidents have involved pilots who have not trained to conduct such tests
​​​​​Flight track of the Feb. 7, 2024, Hawker 900XP accident flight in Utah.​​​​
​​​​​Flight track shows corkscrew descent of the Feb. 7, 2024 Hawker 900XP accident flight in Utah.​​​​ © NTSB

During a 20-month period, two Hawker business jets crashed during post-maintenance test flights. Each was required by the manufacturer to undergo a stall test flight following a routine four-year maintenance inspection; in both cases, the aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall, and the pilots—although qualified to fly the aircraft—were unprepared to safely address the adverse stall behavior encountered.

NTSB, through its investigations, found three additional incidents involving the aircraft type. In January 2026, the board published a report (Aviation Investigation Report AIR-26-01) that made several urgent safety recommendations to the manufacturer, the FAA, and NBAA. NTSB found flight crews unprepared for post-maintenance stall test flights in Hawker airplanes, due to insufficient training and procedural guidance from the manufacturer.