Virgin Galactic disaster: pilot unaware of copilots actions.

THE pilot who survived the Virgin Galactic crash said he only survived because his parachute deployed automatically as he is discharged from hospital.

Peter Siebold, was injured while on the test flight of Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo on Friday, Oct. 31, 2014. - Photo Supplied Copyright Unknown

THE pilot who survived the breakup of a Virgin Galactic spaceship was thrown clear of the disintegrating craft and was unaware his copilot had prematurely unlocked the craft’s re-entry braking system, the National Transportation Safety Board says.

The investigation update on Wednesday does not provide any details on what caused SpaceShipTwo to crash on October 31 in the Mojave Desert.

Galactic breakup ... The ship was designed to fly tourists to the edge of space. Picture: AP Photo/NTSB

SURVIVOR PETER SIEBOLD TELLS HIS STORY

The NTSB says pilot Peter Siebold told investigators on Friday that he was pulled from the vehicle when it disintegrated. He told investigators he unbuckled from his seat at some point during his fall and his parachute deployed automatically.

Perished ... Copilot Michael Alsbury was killed when the test flight aircraft crashed in the Mojave Desert. Picture: AP Photo/Scaled Composites.

The NTSB previously said the ship designed to fly tourists to the edge of space tore apart a few seconds after the copilot unlocked the braking system.

The system controlling descent is a feathering system, which pilots are instructed to unlock at 1480 kilometres an hour. In this case the copilot moved the lock switch at 1060 kilometres an hour.