Internal corrosion in both engines robbed a Hop-A-Jet Bombardier Challenger of thrust and sent it onto I-75 near Naples on February 9, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board has concluded. The crash killed the two pilots and destroyed the jet, while a flight attendant and two passengers escaped with minor injuries after scrambling out through a rear baggage door. In a final report released Thursday, April 23, 2026, the agency said variable-geometry components had corroded after prolonged exposure to salty, marine air, turning an otherwise routine approach into a catastrophe.
What the NTSB found
Investigators determined that “corrosion of both engines’ variable geometry (VG) system components” triggered near-simultaneous sub-idle rotating compressor stalls and an unrecoverable loss of thrust, according to the NTSB. Chemical analysis of recovered parts showed residue consistent with sea-salt exposure, and the corrosion had altered VG travel and actuation pressures enough to push the system off schedule. The report also criticizes the engine manufacturer’s troubleshooting logic for not putting VG…..