Date & Time:
May 6, 1982 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Learjet 23
Operator:
Ibex Corporation
Registration:
N100TA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Teterboro - Orlando
MSN:
23-045
YOM:
1965
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total hours on type:
150
Copilot / Total hours on type:
125
Aircraft flight hours:
7100
Circumstances:
While in cruise flight on Airway J79-121 en route to Orlando, Florida, from Teterboro, New Jersey, the flightcrew of N100TA, an IBEX Corporation Gates Learjet 23, was cleared by the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center to descend from its altitude of Flight Level 410 to Flight Level 390. The flightcrew acknowledged the clearance, and air traffic control observed the radar target descend. About 2 minutes later, the airplane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, from a steep, high-speed descent about 12 miles from Savannah, Georgia. The air traffic controller made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the airplane. The pilots had reported no difficulties in any of their radio transmissions. The pilot, copilot, and the two passengers on board were killed. Beyond 1158:49, the program showed a gradual increase in indicated airspeed from 271 to 400 KIAS. The average rate of descent was 15,375 fpm based on the radar data using pressure altitude (mode C).
Probable cause:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was an uncontrolled descent from cruise altitude for undetermined reasons, from which a recovery was not or could not be effected.
Final Report:
N100TA.pdf4.1 MB
