The US National Transportation Safety Board has released the first pictures of the accident site of the Gulfstream G650 test aircraft that crashed at Roswell, New Mexico on 2 April, killing its four occupants.

The aircraft, N652GD, was departing to the south-west on Runway 21 at Roswell International Air Centre airport. It had been performing tear-drop arrivals with downwind landings intended to stress the brakes at the airport's 4,000m (13,000ft) runway.

Gulfstream G650 crash 
 © NTSB

On its take-off roll, the aircraft had "just gotten airborne" when the right wingtip struck the ground.

Gulfstream crash 
 © NTSB

A preliminary NTSB report on the accident will be completed within 10 days.

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Source: Flight International