Learjet 60 N64MG

Summary

On 12 October 2011 at about 03:00 local time, a Learjet 60 registered N64MG, operated by Mercer Air LLC, was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Indiana, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 October 2011 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lafayette, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Purdue University (LAF)

Coordinates

40.4122, -86.9369

Aircraft

Learjet 60

Registration

N64MG

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Mercer Air LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lafayette → Seattle

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CEN12CA017

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's decision to taxi the airplane across an unpaved area after the nosewheel inadvertently departed the ramp pavement.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was taxiing from the ramp area with the taxi lights on. He said that the edge of the ramp was not marked, and before he could complete a turn, the nosewheel departed the pavement. He attempted to taxi across the grass area to the parallel taxiway about 50 feet from the ramp. However, the airplane struck a drainage ditch located between the ramp and the taxiway, which caused substantial damage to the delta fins on the underside of the aft fuselage. The pilot said that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. He said that the ramp was poorly illuminated and the high overcast clouds combined to create "very dark" lighting conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.