- Date
- July 22, 1991, 21:15 local (Jul 23, 1991, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Detroit, MI
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N959SCLearjet 23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910722029029A
- Case key
- 15196
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper preflight by the pilot, his failure to abort the takeoff while there was sufficient runway remaining, and his failure to assure that the aircraft attained sufficient airspeed for lift-off and climb. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's failure to assure the aircraft was within its maximum weight limitation, his improper use of the parking brake, and insufficient information in the pilot operating handbook concerning the aircraft parking brake.
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
A lineman noted parking brake (p/b) was set bfr flt. Plts bgn tkof on 5147' rwy with 10 kt x-wnd. A witness said acft rotated for tkof abt 4500' dwn rwy & lifted off abt 50' ltr. Rprtdly, it rmnd low & slow (20-60 ft AGL) after lift-off, then banked (rocked) left & right in nose hi attitude, settled, hit trees & crashed abt 200' byd rwy. One person said acft went out of ctl bfr impact; another said it was 'in or on the edge of stalled flight.' Exam showed rotational dmg occurred in both engs drg impact. The braking sys had evidence that p/b ctl vlv was partially on; brake torque tube contained heat blueing. On this early model (Learjet 23/SN: 23-45A), p/b had to be rlsd by depressing brake pedals 1st; plt handbook did not address this. On ltr models (sn: 23-050 & up), p/b needed only to be moved 'off.' Inv showed left seat plt had trng in later models (Learjet 24/25); but only a biennial flt review was noted in the model 23. Company dispatcher said no trng would have been performed on acdnt flt (with psgr aboard). Acft was abt 430 lbs ovr max wt lmt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N959SC
- Reported as
- Learjet 23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-045A
- Engine
- GE CJ-610-4, 2,850 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Jetstream International, Inc.
- Departed
- DET
- Destination
- MDW · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DET · Detroit City, runway 33, 5,147 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 2,600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- DET, 1 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.