Pilot Training Fell Short in Virgin Galactic Crash

Investigators probing the fatal accident said on Tuesday that test pilots at the helm of a Virgin Galactic passenger spaceship that crashed last year were unaware of the catastrophic consequences of unlocking the craft's moveable tail section too early because of poor training. The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the premature unlocking of SpaceShipTwo's hinged tail triggered a midair breakup of the ship during its fourth powered test flight on October 31 over California's Mojave Desert. The NTSB said during a hearing on Tuesday that Scaled Composites, a company the developed the craft and employed its test crew, provided inadequate training to co-pilot Michael Alsbury, who unlocked the tail, and pilot Peter Siebold.