# Accident 20010214004509A: Lear 35A, Punta Gorda, FL, February 14, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 14, 2001, 04:45 local time
- Place: Punta Gorda, FL
- Airport: Charlotte County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: AFBA
- Location: 26.9200° N, 81.9903° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.9200&lon=-81.9903&mi=10
- Aircraft: N394JP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: LEAR 35A
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 14,800 total, 580 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA01LA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA078) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010214004509A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT STATED HE MISSED FIRST APPROACH BECAUSE HE LOST SIGHT OF RUNWAY AT 800 FEET, ON THE SECOND APPROACH HE DID NOT LOSE THE RUNWAY BUT WAS DISTRACTED BY THE FOG AND THE A/C HIT HARD ON THE NUMBERS OF RUNWAY 03. AFTER TOUCH DOWN, THE LEFT MAIN TIRES BLEW OUT THE A/C THEN WENT TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY AND STOPPED 4100 FEET FROM THE TOUCH DOWN POINT. THE A/C WAS DAMAGED SUBSTANTIALLY AND LEAKING FUEL FOR THIS REASON THEY ELECTED TO EVACUATE THE A/C. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO FIRE AND NO ONE WAS INJURED DUE TO THE LANDING OR THE EVACUATION. (.4) THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD ON RUNWAY 03, BLEW OUT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES AND TRAVELED ABOUT 4,100 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE RADIOED ATC THAT HE HAD THE AIRPORT AND RUNWAY IN SIGHT. AT 800 FEET HE LOST SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY BECAUSE OF "LIGHT FOG." HE PERFORMED A MISSED APPROACH AND STAYED IN THE PATTERN VFR. ON THE SECOND APPROACH HE WAS DISTRACTED BY THE FOG, BUT SAID HE DID NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. HE SAID THAT THE CO-PILOT ADVISED HIM TO GO AROUND AGAIN BUT HE LANDED. HE SAID THE LANDING WAS HARD, BUT DID NOT REALIZE HE HAD A PROB                                                    LEM UNTIL THE AIRPLANE STARTED PULLING TO THE LEFT. WHEN THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP HE GOT EVERYONE OUT BECAUSE OF A FUEL LEAK. THE 30-MINUTE CVR RECORDING WAS FOUND TO HAVE NO DATA THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO DETERMINING THE PROBABLE CAUSE, AND NO TRANSCRIPT WAS PREPARED. THE REPORTED VISIBILITY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 0.25 SM MILE WITH FOG. THE PILOT CALLED THE SAINT PETERSBURG FLIGHT SERVICE STATION ABOUT 2 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT TO REPORT SAME.

## 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 MIA01LA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA078), Feb 14, 2001: Learjet 35A (N394JP), Punta Gorda, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot misjudged the flare resulting in a hard landing, and impact with the runway. A factor in the accident was reduced visibility because of ground fog.

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.

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