Pilot Debrief

Learjet 35 near Key West, FL — 2018-12-15

Final reportERA19LA073
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Date
2018-12-15
Location
Key West, FL, USA
Airport
EYW
Aircraft
Learjet 35
Registration
N55FN
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The flight crew’s encounter with windshear during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB narrative

The flight crew conducted an instrument approach to their destination airport that terminated in a missed approach. Air traffic control provided radar vectors for a second approach, and during that time, the wind shifted due to the passage of a cold front and favored the opposite direction runway. The subsequent approach was uneventful; however, during the landing flare, the airplane touched down hard and was substantially damaged. Review of a weather sounding taken shortly before the accident revealed the potential for low-level windshear activity between the surface and 1,000 feet. Given this information, it is most likely that the flight crew encountered windshear during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Crew could have opted for a go-around instead of attempting to land hard.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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