The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging immediate action after two fatal crashes involving Hawker business jets during required post-maintenance stall test flights, warning that line pilots may be unprepared for the extreme aircraft behavior those tests can trigger.
In a safety investigation report released January 2, 2026, the NTSB said two Hawker accidents in 2024 and 2025 exposed serious gaps in pilot training, qualification standards, and manufacturer guidance for stall test flights following certain maintenance actions. Both crashes occurred while flight crews were performing manufacturer-mandated stall tests after routine inspections.
The board issued urgent safety recommendations to Textron Aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Business Aviation Association, calling for defined pilot qualification criteria, standardized stall test plans, clearer recovery procedures, and immediate outreach to owners and operators.
A test few pilots ever fly
Certain Hawker models, including the 750, 800, 800XP, 850XP, and 900XP, require a stall test flight after maintenance involving wing leading-edge components. The test is designed to confirm that the aircraft’s stall warning system and stall behavior remain within certification standards before the airplane returns to service.
The NTSB said the wing design on these airplanes is highly sensitive to small installation errors, surface defects, or minor ice contamination. Even deviations measured in hundredths of an inch can produce unacceptable stall behavior, including sudden uncommanded roll or entry into a spin.
While the Hawker’s Structural Repair Manual requires the test, investigators found no clear manufacturer-defined training, experience thresholds, or recovery procedures for pilots tasked with flying it. In many cases, the responsibility falls to an operator’s regular line pilots.
Two crashes, same scenario
On October 16, 2025, a Hawker 800XP crashed near Battle Creek, Michigan, during a post-maintenance stall test flight, killing the pilot, copilot, and a maintenance passenger. The aircraft had been down for maintenance for seven months. Preliminary data showed the jet entered a rapid descent shortly after the crew began the test. A radio transmission referenced a stall and an attempted recovery. The investigation remains ongoing.
About 20 months earlier, on February 7, 2024, a Hawker 900XP crashed near Westwater, Utah, also during a required stall test flight, killing both pilots. Flight data showed the aircraft decelerated and pitched up before entering a stall at the same moment the stick shaker activated, with no prior warning. The jet rolled repeatedly and descended in a corkscrew pattern from which the crew did not recover.
The NTSB determined that wing performance degradation from structural ice likely caused the stall warning system to activate too late, leaving the crew with little margin to respond.
In both accidents, the pilots were properly trained and qualified for normal operations but had limited or no real-world experience performing stall test flights.
What’s missing
The board found that Hawker manuals warn pilots to be “prepared for unacceptable stall behavior” but do not clearly describe what that behavior looks like or how to recover from it. Emergency and abnormal procedures contain no specific guidance for handling an uncommanded roll or spin during a stall test.
Investigators also identified inconsistencies between the Structural Repair Manual, Pilot’s Operating Manual, and Airplane Flight Manual, raising concerns about FAA oversight of previous revisions.
The NTSB concluded that operational pilots, who are trained to avoid stalls entirely, may be ill-equipped to handle a full aerodynamic stall when it occurs unexpectedly during testing.
What the NTSB wants next
The board is calling on Textron Aviation to establish manufacturer-authorized training and experience requirements for stall test pilots, develop detailed stall test plans and recovery procedures, and revise manuals to clearly explain the risks posed by wing surface anomalies and light ice.
The FAA is urged to ensure those changes are properly incorporated into approved manuals. NBAA is asked to alert its members immediately, warning that stall test flights carry risks beyond normal line operations.
Until those changes are made, the NTSB warned, post-maintenance stall test flights will continue to expose crews to hazards they may not fully understand or be prepared to manage.
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