Kermas Sub-Orbital Space Tourism Vehicle :: Fully Recoverable Boosters
Spacecraft Accident Report
Investigatiom page 4
The spacecraft started the rolling nominally, but an anomaly on the thrust profile was detected. Further investigations revealed the craft has not enough intakes to withhold full throttle when stationary, and the FADEC was programmed to automatically fix the thrusting profile to be kept under this limitation. The simulators doesn't simulate this behaviour.
With the FADEC overridden, the correcting program didn't acted and the engine choked for about 15 seconds, delivering less than half of the thrust expected.
Being a known (besides not disclosed to the pilots!) limitation, the Diagnostics computer didn't raised an alarm, and the crew got the false confidence of having control of the situation.
This is the second lost opportunity for preventing the accident.
Transcription from the flight recorder:
T+0y,0d,00:00:15 Copilot Leadrin Kerman: __ WHAT A HELL?
T+0y,0d,00:00:16 Pilot Dioly Kerman: __ Leadrin, report.
T+0y,0d,00:00:17 Copilot Leadrin Kerman: __ The turbofan is loosing power. Running diagnostics.
T+0y,0d,00:00:18 Copilot Leadrin Kerman: __ We are losing intake air! Dropping to 68%... No, 60%... 56%
T+0y,0d,00:00:20 Pilot Dioly Kerman: __ Abor...
T+0y,0d,00:00:21 Copilot Leadrin Kerman: __ Raising again. Wait a bit... 56%, 60%, confirmed. Engine thrust raising to 16 kN... 17kN... 23kN... 32 kN...
T+0y,0d,00:00:22 Pilot Dioly Kerman: __ Go or no go? We have 500 meters to decide. Fast!
T+0y,0d,00:00:25 Copilot Leadrin Kerman: __ 38 kN... 40 kN... 41 Kn. Nominal.
T+0y,0d,00:00:26 Copilot Leadrin Kerman: __ Diagnostics are green. Engine is nominal, no failure predicted. Flight Computer says ok. I say go.
T+0y,0d,00:00:28 Pilot Dioly Kerman: __ So we go. I'll fire up the rockets early - I don't mind sacrificing a thousand meters high or two, we can break some records another day.
