Gates Learjet 35A N620JM

Summary

On 15 July 2005 at about 15:30 local time, a Gates Learjet 35A registered N620JM was involved in an accident near Eagle, Colorado, United States. 4 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 2005 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Eagle, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE)

Coordinates

39.6425, -106.9344

Aircraft

Gates Learjet 35A

Registration

N620JM

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aspen → Eagle

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN05LA111

1 person was seriously injured.

the pilot's improper flare resulting in the hard landing and the fractured nose gear attachment, and the subsequent loss of control. Factors contributing to the accident were the high airspeed on approach, the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, and the pilot's inability to maintain directional control after the gear failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness saw the airplane approach from the east. She said that the airplane came in "pretty fast" and touched down "approximately half way down the runway." The witness said, "The nose was down. He hit the ground and within 3 seconds he was off the runway and gone. Then all you saw was smoke." The witness said when the airplane hit "the front end shook. It wobbled like a kid on a tricycle. When it shook, it kind of looked like it [the airplane] bounced. Then it was gone." The control tower operator said he heard the captain say something over the radio, which caused him to look in the direction of the airplane. The tower operator saw the airplane off the runway, the main landing gear came off behind the airplane, and the airplane caught fire. The tower operator said he saw four people get out of the airplane. The airplane came to rest in a shallow ravine approximately 331 feet north of the runway. An examination of the airplane showed impact damage to the nose gear and nose gear wheel well. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.