Learjet 35A N521PA

Summary

On 14 December 1994 at about 19:46 local time, a Learjet 35A registered N521PA was involved in an accident near Fresno, California, United States. 23 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 December 1994 at 19:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Fresno, California, United States

Nearest airport

Fresno Air Terminal (FAT)

Coordinates

36.7500, -119.6694

Aircraft

Learjet 35A

Registration

N521PA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA95MA007

2 people died.

1) IMPROPERLY INSTALLED ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR SPECIAL MISSION OPERATIONS THAT LED TO AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE THAT CAUSED AIRPLANE SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND SUBSEQUENT AIRPLANE CONTROL DIFFICULTIES; 2) IMPROPER MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION PROCEDURES FOLLOWED BY THE OPERATOR; AND 3) INADEQUATE OVERSIGHT AND APPROVAL OF THE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION PRACTICE BY THE OPERATOR IN THE INSTALLATION OF THE SPECIAL MISSION SYSTEMS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AT ABOUT 1146 PST, LEARJET 35A, N521PA, OPERATING AS A PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT, CRASHED IN FRESNO, CA. OPERATING WITH CALL SIGN DART 21, THE FLIGHTCREW HAD DECLARED AN EMERGENCY INBOUND TO FRESNO AIR TERMINAL DUE TO ENGINE FIRE INDICATIONS. THEY FLEW THE AIRPLANE TOWARD A RIGHT BASE FOR THEIR REQUESTED RUNWAY, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED PAST THE AIRPORT. THE FLIGHTCREW WAS HEARD ON TOWER FREQUENCY ATTEMPTING TO DIAGNOSE THE EMERGENCY CONDITIONS AND CONTROL THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT CRASHED, WITH LANDING GEAR DOWN, ON AN AVENUE IN FRESNO. BOTH PILOTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. TWENTY-ONE PERSONS ON THE GROUND WERE INJURED, AND 12 APARTMENT UNITS IN 2 BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED OR SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY IMPACT OR FIRE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT SPECIAL MISSION WIRING WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY, LEADING TO A LACK OF OVERLOAD CURRENT PROTECTION. THE IN-FLIGHT FIRE MOST LIKELY ORIGINATED WITH A SHORT OF THE SPECIAL MISSION POWER SUPPLY WIRES IN AN AREA UNPROTECTED BY CURRENT LIMITERS. THE FIRE RESULTED IN FALSE ENGINE FIRE WARNING INDICATIONS TO THE PILOTS THAT LED THEM TO A SHUTDOWN OF THE LEFT ENGINE. AN INTENSE FIRE BURNED THROUGH THE AFT ENGINE SUPPORT BEAM, DAMAGING THE AIRPLANE STRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS IN THE AFT FUSELAGE AND MAY HAVE PRECLUDED A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY LANDING. (FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, SEE NTSB/AAR-95/04)

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.