- Date
- October 22, 2003, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N420FXLearjet 45
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 58239
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the failure of the airplane's spoiler system when used as speed brakes due to high resistances in the spoilers' actuator coils.
Analysis
The airplane was descending through 13,000 feet when the captain extended both spoilers as speed brakes to reduce the airplane's speed. The left spoiler came up and the right spoiler barely moved, causing the airplane to roll to the left. The pilots saw the amber-colored "Spoiler Fail CAS" light illuminate. The captain retracted the spoilers, rolled the airplane back to a level attitude, and began running the appropriate emergency checklist. The captain continued the descent and landed uneventfully. An examination of the airplane showed high internal resistance in the left and right spoilers' actuator coils. No other anomalies were found.
Factual narrative
On October 22, 2003, at 1730 mountain daylight time, a Learjet 45, N420FX, owned by Bombardier Aerospace Flexjet and operated by Vestar Capital Partners, experienced an uncontrolled spoiler roll event during descent through 13,000 feet mean sea level, while en route to the Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado. The flight crew regained control of the airplane, and made an uneventful landing at DEN. The airline transport pilot certificated captain, airline transport pilot certificated first officer, and 2 passengers on board the airplane were not injured. The personal domestic business flight was being conducted on an instrument flight rules flight plan from Teterburo, New Jersey, to DEN under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident.
The company reported that as the crew was descending through 13,000 feet, the captain extended both spoilers as speed brakes to reduce the airplane's speed. The left spoiler came up and the right spoiler barely moved, causing the airplane to roll to the left. The company also reported the pilots saw the amber-colored "Spoiler Fail CAS" light illuminate. The captain retracted the spoilers, rolled the airplane back to a level attitude, and began running the appropriate emergency checklist. The captain continued the descent and landed at DEN uneventfully.
The left and right spoiler actuators (part number 6627602001-003) were ground tested at DEN. The tests showed high internal resistance in the actuator coils. The actuators were removed and retained for further examination. Later testing at the manufacturer in Wichita, Kansas, confirmed this finding.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N420FX
- Reported as
- Learjet 45
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 45-126
- Airframe hours
- 2,102
- Engines
- Honeywell TFE-731-20AR, 3,650 lbs thrust, turbo fanHoneywell TFE-731-20AR, 3,650 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vestar Capital Partners, doing business as Bombardier Aerospace Flexjet
- Registered owner
- Bombardier Aerospace Flexjet
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TEB · Teterburo, NJ
- Destination
- DEN · Denver, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- September 30, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,700 total · 1,140 in this make and model · 5,700 as pilot in command
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 13, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,660 total · 1,135 in this make and model · 2,340 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 270 nm away