MOJAVE, CA. - A report released Wednesday by the National Transit Safety Board reveals the feather braking system had been unlocked prematurely by the deceased copilot.
On-scene NTSB investigators into Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crash interviewed surviving pilot Peter Siebold on Friday, who described how he escaped from the aircraft.
Acording to the NTSB, "He stated that he was extracted from the vehicle as a result of the break-up sequence and unbuckled from his seat at some point before the parachute deployed automatically."
The interview with Siebold revealed that he was unaware that deceased copilot Michael Alsbury had released the feather braking system early.
The NTSB added that his description of the incident was consistent with other sources in the investigation.
NTSB has concluded their on-scene investigation and have returned to Washington D.C. The investigative group will now continue to examine ground data, as well as data from the vehicle's on-board systems.
In addition, design data for the feather system components, aerodynamic and inertial forces that acted on the vehicle during the launch, and the systems safety documentation will also be reviewed at the NTSB Recorders Laboratory in D.C.
The wreckage of the crash has been recovered and stored for future examination.
SpaceShipTwo crashed on Oct. 31. The NTSB has not revealed details yet on what caused the crash, as the investigation is ongoing and is expected to take up to a year.