I’m not a pilot. So take this for what it’s worth…
I believe they act to achieve the same effect (rolling the aircraft as to turn) as airlerons. If one got stuck when the plane was at a low altitude, it’s bad news.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge chimes in.
I see your last name matches one of the pilot’s. If you are family, I’m sorry for your loss.
a spoileron is a combined spoiler (which is used to decrease lift of the wing to descend rapidly and slow the aircraft and provide drag upon landing) and aileron (which is used to roll the aircraft in turns). It is somewhat common in smaller advanced aircraft to combine these functions into a single control surface.
Learjet Spoilerons help with roll control at low speeds when the flaps are selected beyond 20 degrees. It sounds like the spoileron computer had a malfunction or wasn’t working to begin with.
The pilots should check the spoilerons and spoilers at engine startup, usually with just one engine going to check the health of that engines hydraulic pump at the same time (alternating the engine the start each time).
I have flown with and seen many pilots who don’t do this or really understand the system, especially those trained in house.
The statement by one of the pilots about the spoileron “thingy” not working supports a lack of full knowlege or understanding of the system.
The pilots should have had a warning light if the system failed but that light would have come on at the same time the aircraft became difficult to control. They should have put the flaps right back to 20 especially since they were aware enough to discuss the spoilerons might being the reason for the control problem.
It would be interesting if the CVR included the engine start phase. Then we would know if they completed the Spoileron check.
This description in inaccurate for the Lear Jet.
The Lear has spoilers to assist in descending with out speeding up and Ailerons for direct roll control. The Ailerons and Spoilers are independent surfaces.
When the pilots select full flaps an analog computer monitors the position of the Aileron and raises the corresponding spoiler to augment the aileron for additional roll control at low speed in the full flaps configuration for landing only.
We check them at the start of the day, along with the NAC and Wing and stab heat, and fuel governors
Thanks for all the posts…I am trying to understand more and more and information is scarce. The little bit of information I do get is from the airline itself…and lets face it…even the nicest people that explain things to me at the end of the day get their paycheck from that airline. I would really like to get a copy of the CVR transcripts. Any ideas on where I can get a copy?
cm5299: My brother was the pilot of this aircraft.
Good Boy! you get a shiny star on your report card.
MichelleEllis,
I am posting this link with a warning. CVR tapes are sometimes very disturbing to read.
The last file is a copy of the CVR transcript.
Thanks for the link. I did read it…and it was a GREAT read til the end. He was such a funny guy…lots of laughter…sarcasim and more laughter. I miss him more than words can say!
Very sorry for your loss Michelle.
There is no excuse for safety. That check-list is there for a reason.
No disrespect to the pilots but I was wondering why he disconnected the Yaw-damper so far out with a turn to final?
I am very happy that I provided some more information to you. If you watch that link I gave you, it will be updated as more information is obtained from NTSB.
That link is everything that NTSB has that has been released under the FOIA, although some areas may be redacted as required.
Although I hate to show this to family members, I do know that you need closure and this is the only avenue that you may have.
As my loss is great, the loss for his wife and child are Greater. There seems to be little to no support for family members as far as grief counseling. He left behind a 7 year old daughter. I was in the military and a military wife for 10 years…and there are tons of programs out there for military members who lose a loved one. Does anyone know of anything for Pilots families? Maybe I am not wording that just right, but I am certain you get an idea of what I am talking about. Oddly enough, the insurance the family still has through the airline does not cover mental health…and school counselor’s can only do so much. Any Ideas?? I looked for non-profit Pilot organizations…etc… and really found nothing.
Hello Michelle,
I am sorry for your loss, Steve was a stand up guy and I know he will be missed by alot of people. My first flight instructing job was in Brainerd Minnesota, and Steve and I were the only two flight instructors there.
I will never forget the day Steve and his wife brought their brand new baby daughter to the airport and Steve was smiling from ear to ear, he was so proud of his new daughter. The image of Steve holding his new born daughter in his arms and smiling is the one that I will always remember the rest of my life.
Once again, I am sorry for your loss and hope that time will help cope with some of the pain you and your family must be experiencing even 1yr later.
Please PM me info on how I can get ahold of his wife and family.
The probable cause of a deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago today (Wednesday) near Mt. Prospect will most likely not be determined for another month or two.
“We are still working through a couple issues on the investigation,” said National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Lead Investigator Aaron Sauer.
The pilot and passenger onboard a Learjet airplane were fatally injured Jan. 5, 2010 when their plane crashed into the banks of the Des Plaines River near Euclid Avenue and River Road. The aircraft was on approach to Chicago Executive Airport located about a mile north.
“This case is more comprehensive and complex than others we have dealt with in the past due to the type of system on board, the size of the plane and the number of people involved,” Sauer said.
Sauer said it was determined there was a caution light that came on inside the cockpit prior to the plane crashing but investigators are still determining what that actually means.
On board at the time of the crash was Stephen Ellis, 38, who lived in Waterford, MI, near Oakland County International Airport where the plane departed from. The co-pilot was Ryan Daenzer, 40, from Osceola County, MI.
After the crash several witnesses said they observed the plane enter a nose down descent toward the Cook County Forest Preserve near Euclid and River.
The NTSB said the airplane was scheduled to pickup cargo at CEA for transport to Georgia.
These investigations can be very complex and extremely time consuming, families of Click Here N102PT Citation CJ crashed 3 years ago on February 1 2008 - are still awaiting the final report.
I know that it can and will take a long time for this investigation to be complete. When I find (or in this case Ryan’s girlfriend found) an article about the crash…I just want to hear other view points. No matter what the official findings are…when ever that is…doesn’t matter. At the end of everday…the results are the same. My brother is forever gone…and never forgotten. So, I’m really just looking to find out what other people in the industry think. See, the airline he worked for has been less than honest. I can confidently say that I was completely lied to at his funeral…and each and everytime I have spoken to someone at that company since his funeral. I know where their next paycheck is coming from, so I do forgive them. However, it would be much kinder for them just to not say anything at all…
ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief … 1839&key=1
I would love any input on the NTSB Findings. 
Something went wrong with the Ailerons and/or Spoilerons - but due to limited data, they could not figure out definitively what went wrong.
They also found that the CVR indicates that the crew became distracted with solving the aicraft’s uncommanded roll issues (likely related to the Ailerons or Spoilerons) and their attention was brought away from the task of actively flying the plane, which was why the full-throttle command and attempt to ascend came too late to save the aircraft and crew.
I can sympathize with how difficult it must be that it appears that they have given up in figuring out what went wrong with the aircraft, but it appears they simply don’t have much to go on.
I’ve had an uncommanded single spoiler deploy at low alt in the LJ35. The computer actually did it’s job in my case and the spoiler slammed down.
I think we’re going to find as the LJ35 fleet gets older that this will be an issue.