Pilot Debrief

GATES LEARJET CORP. 35A near Colorado Springs, CO — 2021-04-15

Final reportCEN21LA190
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Date
2021-04-15
Location
Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Airport
COS
Aircraft
GATES LEARJET CORP. 35A
Registration
N354EF
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The flight crew’s improper decision to continue the unstabilized approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the runway during landing.

NTSB narrative

The flight crew was conducting an instrument approach to the destination airport with the captain as the pilot monitoring and the copilot as the pilot flying. The airplane exited an overcast layer of clouds about 650 to 700 ft above ground level and about 1/2 mile right of the runway centerline. The captain requested the flight controls and returned the airplane to the runway extended centerline about 100 ft above ground level and reduced the throttles to “idle.” During landing, the stick shaker activated, and the captain applied engine power; however, the airplane stalled, and the right wingtip fuel tank impacted the runway, resulting in substantial damage. There was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The operator’s operations manual specified that a stabilized approach should be established no later than 500 ft above airport elevation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Go-around decision should have been made when unstabilized approach was evident.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents5

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