Hawker Siddeley HS-125-400A accident near Lexington, Kentucky, December 5, 1987
On December 5, 1987 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Hawker Siddeley HS-125-400A, registered N400PH, was destroyed in an accident near Lexington, Kentucky (Lexington airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 1987 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Kentucky · Lexington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Siddeley HS-125-400A HS-125-400
- Registration
- N400PH · no longer on the register · serial NA716
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE AT FL 370, THE PLTS DECLARED AN EMERG, RPRTD A FIRE IN THE RGT ENG & REQD VECTORS TO THE NEAREST SUITABLEARPT. THEY WERE VECTORED TWD THE LEXINGTON BLUEGRASS ARPT & CLRD TO DSCND. SHORTLY AFTER DECLARING AN EMERG, THE PLTS RPRTD THEY SECURED THE RGT ENG & EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE LGT. AS THE ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH TO LND, THE LOCAL CTLR (USING BINOCULARS) CONFIRMED THAT BOTH THE GEAR & FLAPS WERE EXTENDED. HOWEVER, AS THE ACFT CONTD ONTO A SHORT FINAL APCH, AN INCREASE IN ITS PITCH ATTITUDE WAS NOTED. IT THEN DROPPED BELOW THE LVL OF THE RWY THRESHOLD & IMPACTED IN A PASTURE SHORT OF THE RWY. AFTER INITIAL IMPACT, THE ACFT WENT THRU A STONE FENCE, HIT 2 UTILITY POLES, CROSSED A HIWAY, CAME TO REST AT THE PERIMETER FENCE & BURNED. AN AUTO WAS DMGD BY DEBRIS; 2 OCCUPANTS RECD MINOR INJURIES. AN INV REVEALED THE ACFT IMPACTED WITH THE GEAR EXTD, BUT THE FLAPS & FLAP HANDLE WERE FND IN THE UP PSN. AN EXAM OF THE RGT ENG REVEALED ITS OUTER EXHAUST CONE WAS CRACKED IN THE VCNTY OF A FIRE DETECTION LOOP. NO OTR PREEXISTING MECH PROBLEMS WERE EVIDENT.
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 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,565 hours in all; 80 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,710 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 31, 1987; 108 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 23,300 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 522 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Dallas TX
- Destination: New York NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 6,998 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from LEX
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.