- Date
- August 20, 1985, 02:05 local (10:05 UTC)
- Place
- Gulkana, AK
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N455JAGates Learjet 24D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19850820042029A
- Case key
- 4581
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During a night arrival, the flt was on an instrument apch to the Gulkana arpt when radio contact with the acft was lost. A search was initiated & the wreckage was found 7.4 mi north of the terminal VOR on the 330 deg radial. The inbound course for the VOR rwy 14 apch was on the 315 deg radial. An on-scene exam revealed the acft was tracking inbound when it collided with trees, crashed & burned about 2.4 mi before reaching the final apch fix. Both engs were operating during impact & both had injested considerable tree material. No preimpact mechanical failure was evident. The captain & 1st officer were currently responsible for flying both the Learjet & DHC-7 acft. This was the captain's 1st day of work after returning from a vacation trip to Hawaii (aprx 1-1/2 weeks). The 1st officer had an adequate period for crew rest prior to reporting for work; however, he had previously been working a varied schedule. The operator repeatedly shifted plts from 14 CFR 135 rest/duty requirements to those of 14 CFR 121.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N455JA
- Reported as
- Gates Learjet 24D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 300
- Airframe hours
- 6,645
- Engine
- GE CJ-610-6, 2,950 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Era Helicopters, Inc., doing business as Jet Alaska
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 1, 1985 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- ANC · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- GKN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- GKN · Gulkana, runway 14, 4,200 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,582 total · 801 in this make and model · 3,468 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft overcast
- Observed at
- GKN, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.