( CNN ) -- The surviving pilot of Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo told authorities he was unaware the feather system had been unlocked early by his co-pilot . The spaceship disintegrated 45,000 feet above the Mojave Desert on October 31 , killing co-pilot Michael Tyner Alsbury and injuring co-pilot Peter Siebold , who managed to parachute to the ground . Siebold was interviewed last week by the National Transportation Safety Board . He described being `` 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 , '' according to a release from the NTSB . Earlier this month , the NTSB tweeted that Alsbury `` moved the lock/unlock handle into unlock position . '' ... the copilot , who was in right seat , moved the lock/unlock handle into unlock position ; he did not survive accident . # SpaceShipTwo . But that mishap alone does n't explain why the feathering started , since no one moved the feathering handle . During feathering , two pieces on the back of the vehicle -- the `` feathers '' -- lift up perpendicular to the spaceship , making the vehicle look as though it 's arching its back as it descends . The wreckage has been recovered and will be used for follow-up examinations . Test pilot 's workplace a cold , harsh environment .
Peter Siebold talked to NTSB about the October 31 space plane disaster . He said he did n't know feathering system had been unlocked by his co-pilot . But that does n't explain why feathering started , which requires moving another handle .