Learjet 35

The aircraft departed Ciudad Obregón Airport at 2001LT on a charter flight to Toluca, carrying four passengers and two pilots. For unknown reasons, the crew cancelled the flight plan and returned to Ciudad Obregón. A second takeoff was recorded at 2118LT and en route, the crew cancelled again the flight plan as he wanted to divert to Tepic, then Guadalajara and later Puerto Vallarta. After ATC informed the crew that Guadalajara Airport was closed to traffic, the crew finally decided to fly to Tepic. But this airport was also closed to traffic. On final approach to Tepic Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the aircraft struck the ground and crashed 8,3 km short of runway 02. At the time of the accident, the airport was closed and the approach light system was off. One of the passenger was the drug lord Héctor Luis Palma Salazar who was later arrested.

En route from Veracruz to Nogales, while 112 km from the destination, the crew declared an emergency following a fire in the left engine and was cleared to divert to Magdalena de Kino Airport. The aircraft landed too far down the runway which is 1,386 metres long. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and came to rest few dozen metres further, bursting into flames. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

On 11 January 1995, at 0035 Pacific standard time (PST), the twin-engine Learjet 35 departed Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia, on a night, instrument flight rules (IFR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) flight to the Masset aerodrome, on the northern end of the Queen Charlotte Islands. On board the Learjet were a flight crew of two pilots, and a medical team consisting of two attendants and a doctor. Their mission was to evacuate a patient from Masset and deliver her to Prince Rupert for treatment; the aircraft was then to return to Vancouver. The flight-planned route was at flight level (FL) 390, direct to Sandspit then direct to Masset. Following routine communications with Air Traffic Services (ATS), at about 0144, the aircraft reported "outbound" from the Masset non-directional beacon (NDB) on the published NDB "A" instrument approach procedure to runway 12. Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar, situated near Sandspit, tracked the aircraft as it flew the approach. Radar data shows that the aircraft began a descent about 10 seconds after it had completed the procedure turn and was established on the final inbound approach track. Forty-three seconds later, at a point 8.8 nautical miles (nm) from the threshold of runway 12 and on the final, inbound track, the aircraft disappeared from radar. Department of National Defence (DND) Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft began searching the area shortly after the aircraft was declared missing, and were later assisted by other private and military aircraft and vessels. On the second day of the search, flotsam from the aircraft was found in the area. Extensive underwater searching using sonar and underwater cameras found the aircraft wreckage on 31 January 1995, in 260 feet of water, near the last known position. The aircraft had been destroyed. The bodies of two occupants were found several days after the accident, but the other three occupants have not been found and are presumed to have been fatally injured. The accident occurred at latitude 54/08NN and longitude 131/58NW, at about 0149 PST, during the hours of darkness in unknown weather conditions.

The twin engine aircraft was engaged in a charter flight from Munich to Magnitogorsk and back, with an intermediate stop in Moscow to pick up a Russian navigator. Shortly after takeoff, at a height of about 15 metres, the aircraft banked left and impacted the ground some 30 metres to the left of the runway. Out of control, it rolled for about 325 metres before coming to rest. A pilot was killed while six other occupants were seriously injured.

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.

The aircraft was engaged in a military exercise jointly with the Taiwan Navy, carrying four crew members. While cruising over the Taiwan Strait and towing a target, the aircraft was mistakenly shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired from a Taiwan Navy frigate. The aircraft exploded and its debris were found off Taitung. All four crew members were killed.

The crew departed Cologne-Bonn Airport on a training flight (check flight) to Nuremberg. During the takeoff roll, at or near V2 speed, the aircraft deviated to the left and veered off runway. It rolled beside the runway for about 600 metres then returned on the runway. It took off but overturned and crashed upside down, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.

Following an uneventful flight from Mexico City, the crew was cleared for an approach to Hermosillo-General Ignacio Pesqueira Garcia Airport runway 23. During the descent, the crew was alerted by ATC about poor weather conditions and limited visibility. On final, at an altitude of 1,800 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt El Bachoco located 10,4 km short of runway 23. The aircraft was destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.

The crew attempted a night landing at Cumuatillo-Pajacuarán Airport that was not equipped with any facilities, tower or lighting systems. The aircraft approached in a wrong position relating to the runway direction and struck the ground near the runway threshold in a near perpendicular heading. It went out of control, crashed and came to rest near a road, broken in several pieces. Both pilots were killed. A load of cocaine was found among the debris.

The aircraft departed São Paulo-Congonhas Airport on an ambulance flight to Uberlândia, carrying two doctors and two pilots who should pick-up a patient. The copilot was pilot flying. This was his first flight on a Learjet without an instructor. This was against regulations since the copilot was not fully qualified yet and the captain was not qualified to act as an instructor. Upon arrival at Uberlândia, weather conditions were poor with a low ceiling at 100 meters (clouds 8/8), fog and an horizontal visibility less than 200 meters (below minimums weather conditions). The crew abandoned the approach and initiated a go-around procedure. Few minutes later, a second approach was also abandoned. Rather than diverting to the alternate airport, the crew attempted a third approach when the aircraft struck the ground and crashed short of runway threshold. All four occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.