# Accident 20210218001419A: Gates Learjet Corp 55C, Sellersburg, IN, February 18, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 18, 2021, 20:05 local time - Place: Sellersburg, IN - Airport: Clark Regional - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: BUHA - Location: 38.3666° N, 85.7381° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3666&lon=-85.7381&mi=10 - Aircraft: N559RA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N559RA-2022-09-03) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Gates Learjet 55C (registry code 5170706, https://openairdocs.org/model/gates-learjet-55c) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Honeywell TFE-731-SER series (registry code 33902, https://openairdocs.org/engine/honeywell-tfe-731-ser-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: GATES LEARJET CORP 55C - Reported engine: HONEYWELL TFE-731-SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 18,800 total, 3,696 in this make and model, 112 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21LA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA136) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210218001419A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INBOUND TO JVY FROM FORT MYER, FL. THE CREW STATED THAT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE THEY HAD RECEIVED THE NOTAM STATING THAT JVY RUNWAY 32 WAS CLOSED. AS THEY APPROACHED JVY, THEY RECEIVED A HEADING FOR THE ILS-18, ALTHOUGH THEY PLANNED TO BREAK OUT PRIOR TO THE APPROACH AND MANEUVER FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO 36 DUE TO MORE FAVORABLE WINDS. ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, AS THEY BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 5000?MSL, THE PIC ACTIVATED THE PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING AND THE SIC REPORTED THAT HE HAD THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT. (HE STATED THAT IT WAS EASY TO FIND THE AIRPORT, BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY.) THE PIC DID NOT IMMEDIATELY SEE THE AIRPORT, BUT WITH THE SIC?S HELP, EVENTUALLY FOUND IT. THE SIC WAS PILOT FLYING, SO THE PIC REPORTED THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT TO ATC, CANCELED IFR, SQUAWKED VFR, AND REPORTED THEIR POSITION ON UNICOM. THE CREW REPORTED THEY ONLY SAW ONE LIT RUNWAY, SO THEY PROCEEDED TOWARD IT. (UNBEKNOWNST TO THE FLIGHT CREW, THE AIRPORT MANAGER WAS PREPARING TO PLOW RUNWAY 32, THE CLOSED RUNWAY, AND HAD TURNED ON THE RUNWAY LIGHTS.) ON APPROACH, THE PIC BECAME CONCERNED BECAUSE THE SIC, WHO WAS FLYING, WAS A LITTLE HIGH AND FAST ON FINAL, AND ?THINGS BECAME RUSHED.? ALSO ON SHORT FINAL, THE PIC NOTICED HIGH TENSION POWER LINES THAT HE WASN?T EXPECTING, SO HE ADVISED THE SIC TO STAY A LITTLE HIGH AND LAND SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN NORMAL, BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THEY WERE LANDING ON RUNWAY 36 AND HAD 7000? OF RUNWAY AVAILABLE. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED WITH FULL FLAPS AND 10 KNOTS FASTER THAN NORMAL APPROACH SPEED. BY THE TIME THE LANDING LIGHTS LIT THE PAVEMENT AND THE PIC COULD SEE THAT IT APPEARED TO BE WHITE, HE FIRST THOUGHT THE RUNWAY WAS MADE OF CONCRETE, BUT THEN FIGURED THERE WAS PROBABLY A ?LIGHT DUSTING? OF SNOW FROM RECENT WEATHER. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 32 APPROXIMATELY 1800? DOWN THE RUNWAY, WITH APPROXIMATELY 2000? REMAINING. (THE CREW HAD PREVIOUSLY CALCULATED A REQUIRED LANDING DISTANCE OF 3500?.) THE PIC SAID HE REALIZED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE SNOW BANK AT THE RUNWAY INTERSECTION AND ONCE AGAIN BECAME AIRBORNE. THE AIRCRAFT PORPOISED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE MAIN GEAR DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN THE RUNWAY, BOTH THE PIC AND SIC WERE ON THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. THEY BOTH REPORTED APPLYING THRUST REVERSERS AND USING THE RUDDER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO STEER THE AIRCRAFT AND MAINTAIN THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 150? OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 32. BOTH PILOTS, SEPARATELY, ADMITTED TO FAILING TO REFERENCE THE HEADING INDICATOR TO CONFIRM THAT THEY WERE LANDING ON THE INTENDED RUNWAY. ## 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 CEN21LA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA136), Feb 19, 2021: Learjet 55 (N559RA), Jeffersonville, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight crew’s failure to verify the correct runway for landing, which resulted in a landing on a snow contaminated runway and resulting damage to the airplane. The illumination of the lights… 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.