Gates Learjet 25 and Gates Learjet 24D mid-air collision near Elizabeth City, North Carolina, November 6, 1982
On November 6, 1982 at about 2:10 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Gates Learjet 25 (N47MJ) and Gates Learjet 24D (N13MJ), were involved in a mid-air collision near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 6, 1982 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Elizabeth City, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Gates Learjet 25 · all 25s on the register
- Registration
- N47MJ · no longer on the register · serial 004
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · rules the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft 2
- Gates Learjet 24D · all 24Ds on the register
- Registration
- N13MJ · registry record · serial 314
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative for the Gates Learjet 25 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER THE TWO ACFT WERE ESTABLISHED AT 14,000 FT DURING A TARGET TOWING OPERATION, N13MJ(LEAD ACFT) MAINTAINED STRAIGHT & LEVEL FLT ON AUTOPILOT WHILE N47MJ(CHASE) CAME UP ALONG THE LEFT SIDE TO OBSERVE THE TARGET ON THE LEFT WING. WHILE MOVING FORWARD & LOOKING OUT THE RIGHT WINDOW TO SEE A LIGHT ON THE TARGET, THE CHASE PLT LOST SIGHT OF THE LEAD ACFT. HE REDUCED PWR, & IN THE PROCESS OF BACKING AWAY, THE CHASE ACFT STRUCK THE TOP OF THE FLYING TAIL OF THE LEAD ACFT WITHITS RADOME JAMMING THE FLYING TAIL. THE LEAD ACFT PITCHED DOWN, LOST ABOUT 6,000 FT & THEN RECOVERED. DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING OF THE LEAD ACFT, IT PITCHED OVER WHEN THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED ON SHORT FINAL, STRUCK THE GROUND HARD SHORT OF THE RWY, BOUNCED, & STARTED PORPOISING. AS THE PLT ADDED POWER FOR A GO-AROUND, THE ACFT STARTED TO ROLL. PWR WAS REDUCED, & ABOUT 5,000 FT DOWN THE RWY, THE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE ACFT TO VEER OFF THE RWY. THE PLT OF THE CHASE ACFT WAS NOT MILITARY TRAINED & HAD NO FORMAL FORMATION FLIGHT TRAINING.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the Gates Learjet 24D final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER THE TWO ACFT WERE ESTABLISHED AT 14,000 FT DURING A TARGET TOWING OPERATION, N13MJ(LEAD ACFT) MAINTAINED STRAIGHT & LEVEL FLT ON AUTOPILOT WHILE N47MJ(CHASE) CAME UP ALONG THE LEFT SIDE TO OBSERVE THE TARGET ON THE LEFT WING. WHILE MOVING FORWARD & LOOKING OUT THE RIGHT WINDOW TO SEE A LIGHT ON THE TARGET, THE CHASE PLT LOST SIGHT OF THE LEAD ACFT. HE REDUCED PWR, & IN THE PROCESS OF BACKING AWAY, THE CHASE ACFT STRUCK THE TOP OF THE FLYING TAIL OF THE LEAD ACFT WITHITS RADOME JAMMING THE FLYING TAIL. THE LEAD ACFT PITCHED DOWN, LOST ABOUT 6,000 FT & THEN RECOVERED. DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING OF THE LEAD ACFT, IT PITCHED OVER WHEN THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED ON SHORT FINAL, STRUCK THE GROUND HARD SHORT OF THE RWY, BOUNCED, & STARTED PORPOISING. AS THE PLT ADDED POWER FOR A GO-AROUND, THE ACFT STARTED TO ROLL. PWR WAS REDUCED & ABOUT 5,000 FT DOWN THE RWY, THE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE ACFT TO VEER OFF THE RWY. THE PLT OF THE CHASE ACFT WAS NOT MILITARY TRAINED & HAD NO FORMAL FORMATION FLIGHT TRAINING.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the Gates Learjet 25 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,300 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CJ610 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Duncan Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: ECG Elizabeth City NC
- Destination: ECG Elizabeth City NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 140°F (60°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
The factual record for the Gates Learjet 24D from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,415 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CJ610 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Duncan Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: ECG Elizabeth City NC at 8:40 am
- Destination: ECG Elizabeth City NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL83FA025.