What happened
During a maintenance repositioning flight, the crew prepared for departure while managing several known mechanical issues, including an uneven fuel balance and a flight ceiling restriction of 25,000 feet due to a malfunctioning air conditioning and pressurization pack. The captain had previously noted issues with the right pack and a bleed valve failure warning.
As the takeoff roll progressed, the flight crew experienced a series of cockpit alerts. Following an initial chime, the first officer reported a bleed valve failure, which the captain instructed to be ignored. A second chime was followed by reports of lateral mode and pusher failures, as well as an indicated airspeed miscompare. The captain initiated an aborted takeoff approximately 13 seconds after the second alert, at an indicated airspeed of 78.5 knots.
Despite the attempt to stop, the aircraft type could not be halted before exiting the runway. The aircraft traveled off the end of the runway, striking various obstructions and terrain. Data from the flight data recorder indicated the aircraft reached a peak groundspeed of 152 knots during the event.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the captain and the director of maintenance for the aircraft owner were aware of several mechanical discrepancies before the flight. While the captain described the flight as routine maintenance and maintained the aircraft was airworthy, no discrepancies were recorded in the aircraft maintenance log, and no warning placards or inoperative decals were present in the cockpit.
Additionally, while the first officer had cleared reddish clay from a pitot tube prior to departure, a post-accident examination determined that the captain's pitot tube was partially blocked by an insect nest.