- Date
- November 6, 1982, 09:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Elizabeth City, NC
- Injuries
- 11 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N47MJGates Learjet 25N13MJGates Learjet 24D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 70576
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
After the two acft were established at 14,000 ft during a target towing operation, N13MJ(lead acft) maintained straight & level flt on autopilot while N47MJ(chase) came up along the left side to observe the target on the left wing. While moving forward & looking out the right window to see a light on the target, the chase plt lost sight of the lead acft. He reduced pwr, & in the process of backing away, the chase acft struck the top of the flying tail of the lead acft withits radome jamming the flying tail. The lead acft pitched down, lost about 6,000 ft & then recovered. During the emergency landing of the lead acft, it pitched over when the gear was extended on short final, struck the ground hard short of the rwy, bounced, & started porpoising. As the plt added power for a go-around, the acft started to roll. Pwr was reduced & about 5,000 ft down the rwy, the gear collapsed causing the acft to veer off the rwy. The plt of the chase acft was not military trained & had no formal formation flight training.
After the two acft were established at 14,000 ft during a target towing operation, N13MJ(lead acft) maintained straight & level flt on autopilot while N47MJ(chase) came up along the left side to observe the target on the left wing. While moving forward & looking out the right window to see a light on the target, the chase plt lost sight of the lead acft. He reduced pwr, & in the process of backing away, the chase acft struck the top of the flying tail of the lead acft withits radome jamming the flying tail. The lead acft pitched down, lost about 6,000 ft & then recovered. During the emergency landing of the lead acft, it pitched over when the gear was extended on short final, struck the ground hard short of the rwy, bounced, & started porpoising. As the plt added power for a go-around, the acft started to roll. Pwr was reduced, & about 5,000 ft down the rwy, the gear collapsed causing the acft to veer off the rwy. The plt of the chase acft was not military trained & had no formal formation flight training.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N47MJ
- Reported as
- Gates Learjet 25
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 004
- Airframe hours
- 8,300
- Engine
- GE CJ610, 2,950 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Operator
- Duncan Aviation
- Registered owner
- Duncan Aviation
- Departed
- ECG · Elizabeth City, NC
- Destination
- ECG · Elizabeth City, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ECG
- Registration
- N13MJ
- Reported as
- Gates Learjet 24D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 314
- Airframe hours
- 2,415
- Engine
- GE CJ610, 2,950 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Operator
- Duncan Aviation
- Registered owner
- Duncan Aviation
- Departed
- ECG · Elizabeth City, NC
- Destination
- ECG · Elizabeth City, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ECG
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N47MJ
- Age
- 47
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 4,500 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N13MJ
- Age
- 34
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 140 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg