NTSB: Mistimed Maneuver Doomed Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo. “A mistimed feathering maneuver resulted in the fatal crash of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo last October, an accident which killed one, critically injured another, and set back the company’s space tourism ambitions. Feathering is the maneuver in which part of the wings change position to increase drag and slow re-entry. But the feathering system was unlocked too early, compromising the craft and shearing off the wings.”