# Accident 19990827024789A: Lear 35LEAR, Gulkana, AK, August 27, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 27, 1999, 10:04 local time - Place: Gulkana, AK - Airport: Gulkana - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: STZA - Location: 62.0994° N, 145.5295° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.0994&lon=-145.5295&mi=10 - Aircraft: N90WR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N90WR-2015-05-05) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Gates Lear Jet 35 (registry code 5170600, https://openairdocs.org/model/gates-lear-jet-35) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Garrett TFE731 series (registry code 29001, https://openairdocs.org/engine/garrett-tfe731-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: LEAR 35LEAR - Reported engine: GARRTT TFE731* - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 5,022 total, 860 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA125) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990827024789A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 27, 1999, ABOUT 1004 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A GATES LEAR JET, MODEL 35 AIRPLANE, N90WR, OPERATED BY F.S. AIR SERVICE, INC., OF ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A HARD LANDING AT GULKANA AIRPORT, GULKANA, ALASKA, GULKANA IS LOCATED ABOUT 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF GLENNALLEN, ALASKA, AT 62.09.29 NORTH LATITUDE, 145.27.40 WEST LONGITUDE. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) MEDICAL TRANSPORT FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE TWO CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOTS, AND TWO FLIGHT NURSES ABOARD, WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT GULKANA, AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ANCHORAGE, ABOUT 0935. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON AUGUST 30, THE CAPTAIN OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING POSITIONED IN ORDER TO TRANSPORT A PATIENT TO ANCHORAGE. HE STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY AGREED UPON THAT THE OUTBOARD TRIP GULKANA WAS TO BE FLOWN BY THE FIRST OFFICER. THE CAPTAIN SAID THAT THE FIRST OFFICER MADE A VOR I NSTRUMENT APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14. HE SAID THAT AS THE FLIGHT DESCENDED BELOW THE CLOUD COVER AND THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT CAME INTO VIEW, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS TOO HIGH, AND LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. HE SAID THAT IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOSE ALTITUDE AND ALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE CENTERLINE, THE FIRST OFFICER TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT, CLOSED THE THROTTLES, AND APPLIED NOSE DOWN ELEVATOR. THE CAPTAIN SAID THAT AS THE AIRPLANE PASSED OVER THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, THE AIRSPEED DECREASED RAPIDLY, AND AN EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE WAS NOTED. HE SAID THAT HE THEN TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND APPLIED FULL ENGINE POWER IN ORDER TO CUSHION THE TOUCHDOWN. THE CAPTAIN CHARACTERIZED THE TOUCHDOWN AS "FIRM", BUT WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE PARKING AREA, AND THE MEDICAL CREW AND FLIGHT CREW DISEMBARKED UNEVENTFULLY. THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER ACCOMPANIED THE MEDICAL CREW TO THE HOSPITAL. BOTH CREW MEMBERS STATED THAT A POSTLANDING INSPECTION WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. BOTH PILOTS, THE TWO FLIGHT NURSES, AND ONE PATIENT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT ABOUT 45 MINUTES LATER, AND PREPARED FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO ANCHORAGE. THE FIRST OFFICER SAID THAT JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, SHE COMPLETED A WALK AROUND INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE. SHE STATED THAT THERE WERE NO AIRFRAME ANOMALIES NOTED DURING THE INSPECTION. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO ANCHORAGE ABOUT 1125. AFTER ARRIVAL IN ANCHORAGE AN INSPECTION BY GROUND PERSONNEL DISCOVERED A 3 FEET BY 4 INCH SCRAPE LOCATED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LEFT WING-TIP FUEL TANK, AND WRINKLING OF THE UPPER LEFT WING PANEL, ADJACENT TO THE LEFT WING-TIP FUEL TANK ATTACH POINT. (-23) FIRST OFFICER WAS MAKING THE LANDING. DURING SHORT FINAL THE PLANE DRIFTED SLIGHTLY RIGHT OF CENTERLINE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. AT THIS TIME THE PLANE WAS ABOUT 50 FT. AGL AT VREF. AS THE PLANE PASSED THROUGH 20 FT AGL A WIND SHEAR WAS ENCOUNTERED WITH THE LOSS OF 5KTS OF AIRSPEED AND AN INCREASED SINK RATE. A FIRM LANDING WAS MADE ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. DURING THE LANDING THE LEFT TIP TANK STRUCK THE RUNWAY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WING. (.4) THE FIRST OFFICER WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE. DURING FINAL APPROACH, IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOSE ALTITUDE AND ALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE CENTERLINE, THE FIRST OFFICER TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT, RETARDED THE THROTTLES, AND APPLIED NOSE DOWN ELEVATOR. AS THE AIRPLANE PASSED OVER THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, THE AIRSPEED DECREASED RAPIDLY, AND AN EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE WAS NOTED. THE CAPTAIN THEN TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND APPLIED FULL ENGINE POWER IN ORDER TO CUSHION THE TOUCHDOWN. THE CAPTAIN CHARACTERIZED THE TOUCHDOWN AS 'FIRM', BUT WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. HE ADDED THAT THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND WITH THE LEFT WING LOW. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT A POSTLANDING INSPECTION WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. ABOUT 45 MINUTES LATER, BOTH PILOTS, THE TWO FLIGHT NURSES, AND ONE PATIENT, BOARDED THE AIRPLANE FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO ANCHORAGE. THE FIRST OFFICER SAID THAT JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, SHE MADE A QUICK WALK AROUND INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE, AND SAW NO AIRFRAME ANOMALIES. AFTER ARRIVAL IN ANCHORAGE, AN INSPECTION BY GROUND PERSONNEL DISCOVERED A 3 FEET BY 4 INCH SCRAPE LOCATED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LEFT WING-TIP FUEL TANK, AND WRINKLING OF THE UPPER LEFT WING PANEL, ADJACENT TO THE LEFT WING-TIP FUEL TANK ATTACH POINT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC99LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA125), Aug 27, 1999: Learjet 35 (N90WR), Glennallen, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot-in-command's delay in applying remedial action. A factor associated with the accident was the second-in-command's failure to maintain proper airspeed during final approach. ## Other reports on N90WR (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20000706034189I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000706034189I), Jul 6, 2000: Lear 35LEAR (N90WR), Anchorage, AK. (-23)During climb out of Anchorage a/c had pressurization problems. A/c returned to airport and landed without incident. Resealed wire bundles going thru… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.