Incident Overview
Description
The Learjet 31 prototype operated on a demonstration flight for a prospective buyer. The aircraft landed hard at Les Eplatures Airport about 50 m past the threshold of runway 24 following a high sink rate. Probable causes: The accident was caused by an abnormally high rate of descent arising from the combination of an extreme nose-up attitude of the aircraft and the reduction in engine power just before making contact with the runway. Factors contributing to the accident: 1) The plane was piloted by unqualified pilot on this aircraft type and having only a minor experience on jet aircraft. 2) The available runway length was at the limit of the aircraft’s performance. 3) The steep slope of the approach that is 4 ø, due to obstacles. 4) The terrain configuration on the approach and the rising slope of the runway. 5) The concern of the flight instructor on the difficult approach, which lay outside the usual operating conditions. 6) Lack of coordination between crew members in the phase preceding the accident.
Primary Cause
Unqualified pilot operation, limited runway length, steep approach slope, terrain configuration, and insufficient crew coordination.Unqualified pilot operation, limited runway length, steep approach slope, terrain configuration, and insufficient crew coordination.Share on:
