Learjet 25

While departing from the airport, with the second-in-command (SIC) at the controls, the airplane impacted a fence, and subsequently the ground about 1,000 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. A witness on the ramp area south of the runway, stated that he heard the engines spool up; however, due to the fog, he could only see the strobe lights on the airplane. He then observed the airplane rotate about 3,500 feet from the departure end of the runway and begin to climb at a steep angle, before losing sight of it when it was about 150 feet above ground level. The weather reported, at 0550 was, calm winds; 1/2 statute miles of visibility, fog; overcast cloud layer at 100 feet; temperature and dew point of 17 degrees Celsius. Excerpts of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript revealed that the flightcrew discussed the prevailing visibility at the airport on numerous occasions, and indicated that it appeared to be less than one mile. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engines. According to the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook, "Flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) can result in sensations that are misleading to the body's sensory system...A rapid acceleration, such as experienced during takeoff, stimulates the otolith organs in the same way as tilting the head backwards. This action creates the somatogravic illusion of being in a nose-up attitude, especially in situations without good visual references. The disoriented pilot may push the aircraft into a nose-low or dive attitude."

During a test flight, the airplane encountered an elevator system oscillation while in a high speed dive outside the normal operating envelope. The 17 second oscillation was recorded on the cockpit voice recorder and had an average frequency of 28 Hz. The aft elevator sector clevis (p/n 2331510-32) fractured due to reverse bending fatigue caused by vibration, resulting in a complete loss of elevator control. The flight crew reported that pitch control was established by using horizontal stabilizer pitch trim. The flightcrew stated that during final approach to runway 17 (13,337 feet by 200 feet, dry/asphalt) the aircraft's nose began to drop and that the flying pilot was unable to raise the nose using a combination of horizontal stabilizer trim and engine power. The aircraft landed short of the runway, striking an airport perimeter fence and a berm. The surface winds were from the south at 23 knots, gusting to 32 knots.

The flight crew was positioning the airplane in preparation for a revenue flight when it crashed 2 nautical miles (nm) short of the runway during a second instrument landing system approach in instrument meteorological conditions. Except for the final 48 seconds of the 25- minute flight, the captain was the flying pilot, and the first officer was the nonflying pilot. When the airplane was about 0.5 nm inside the outer marker on the first approach, the compass warning flag on the captain's course deviation indicator appeared, indicating that the heading display was unreliable. The airplane deviated from the localizer centerline to the left but continued to descend. After about 1 minute, during which time the airplane's track continued to diverge from the localizer centerline, the flight crew executed a missed approach. The flight crew then unsuccessfully attempted to clear the compass flag by resetting circuit breakers. The captain directed the first officer to request a second approach. Contrary to company crew coordination procedures, the flight crew did not conduct an approach briefing or make altitude callouts for either approach. Although accurate heading information was available to the captain on his radio magnetic indicator, he experienced difficulty tracking the localizer course as the airplane proceeded past the outer marker on the second approach. The captain transferred control to the first officer when the airplane was 1.9 nm inside the outer marker. The airplane then began to deviate below the glideslope. The descent continued through the published decision height of 200 feet above ground level, and the airplane struck 80-foot-tall trees. Post accident testing revealed that the first officer's instruments were displaying a false full fly-down glideslope indication because of a failed amplifier in the navigation receiver. The glideslope deficiency was discovered 2 months before the accident by another flight crew. An FAA repair station attempted to resolve the problem and misdiagnosed it as "sticking" needles in the cockpit instruments. The operator was immediately advised of the problem. The operator's minimum equipment list for the airplane required that the problem be repaired within 10 days, but the operator improperly deferred maintenance on it for 60 days and allowed the unairworthy airplane to be flown by the accident flight crew. The airplane was not equipped with, nor was it required to be equipped with, a ground proximity warning system, which would have sounded 40 seconds before impact.

Learjet 25B EC-CKR arrived near Northolt following a flight from Palma de Mallorca. Due to the presence of priority traffic which was due to depart Northolt at that time, the flight was extended down wind to a distance of 10 nm before the crew received vectors and descent instructions for the final approach to runway 25. At 3.5nm short of the runway the pilot was asked to confirm that his landing gear was down and locked as is normal procedure at Northolt. After some rephrasing of this question, the landing gear was confirmed down, however during this exchange the aircraft was seen to deviate above the glidepath. At 2.5 nm, landing clearance was confirmed and the aircraft was advised of the surface wind and the fact that there was a 4 kt tailwind. The aircraft was also advised that it was above the glide path. At the decision altitude which was at approximately half a mile from the runway the aircraft was still above the glidepath although seen to be correcting to it. On arrival at the runway the aircraft was observed to land some distance beyond the normal touchdown point. Towards the end of the landing roll it veered to the right and then swerved to the left and overran the end of the runway. It collided with three lighting stanchions and continued in a south-westerly direction towards the airfield boundary which is marked by a high chain-link fence. After bursting through the boundary fence the aircraft ran onto the A40 trunk road and was almost immediately in collision with a Ford Transit van on the east bound carriageway, and seriously injuring its driver. The aircraft came to rest in the left hand lane of the road with the van embedded in the right side of the fuselage immediately forward of the right wing.

The crew departed São Paulo on a training flight to Ribeirão Preto with an intermediate stop in Uberaba. On approach to Ribeirão Preto-Leite Lopes Airport, the instructor decided to reduce power on the left engine to simulate a failure and to complete a touch-and-go manoeuvre. After touchdown, the left engine power lever remained in the idle position so the captain took over control and attempted to take off as he judged it impossible to stop on the remaining runway. The aircraft took off but landed back about 92 metres past the runway end. Out of control, it collided with a truck and a tree and came to rest, bursting into flames. A man in the truck as well as one pilot were killed while three other pilots were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

The twin engine aircraft was completing a charter flight from Brasília to São Paulo, carrying seven members of the pop music group 'Mamonas Assassinas' and two pilots. On approach in limited visibility due to the night, absence of ground lights and clouds, the crew initiated a go-around as his position was erroneous (too high and the glide and excessive speed). The captain initiated a turn to the left when shortly later, at an altitude of 3,280 feet, the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located about 11 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all nine occupants were killed.

The airplane crashed 0.8 nm south of the threshold of the runway during an ILS approach in instrument meteorological conditions. The captain was not authorized to attempt the approach and was relatively inexperienced for an approach under the weather conditions. The captain failed to adhere to acceptable standards of airmanship during two unstabilized approaches. After the unsuccessful ils approach to runway 01R, the captain should have held for improvements in the weather, requested the runway 19L ILS, or proceeded to his alternate. An operating gpws aboard the airplane would have provided continuous warning to the crew for the last 64 seconds of flight and might have prevented the accident. All 10 passengers were Mexican citizens flying to Washington DC to assist a game of the World Football Championship.

While descending to his destination the pilot in command (pic) canceled his IFR clearance and declined VFR flight following. Witnesses observed the aircraft maneuvering at low altitude in the area where the accident occurred, approximately 25 miles from the destination airport. The aircraft impacted rising terrain at 7,300 feet msl. Toxicological testing revealed that the pic and two passengers had cocaine and alcohol in tissue samples. At an unknown time the pic left the cockpit. Based on cockpit voice recorder analysis, he was called back to the cockpit approximately 11 minutes prior to the accident by the copilot. The copilot had no previous Lear experience. Toxicological test results indicated that the pic 'used cocaine in the very recent past, probably while in-flight' and concluded that he 'was impaired by multiple drug use of cocaine and alcohol.' The investigation did not reveal any structural or system failure or malfunction. All seven occupants were killed.

The approach to Tijuana-General Abelardo L. Rodríguez Airport was completed in poor weather conditions with clouds down to 180 metres. On short final, the captain realized his position was not correct and made several correction but inefficiently. The aircraft landed hard, right main gear first. On impact, both tires on the right main gear burst. The aircraft went out of control, veered to right and came to rest. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.