Learjet 31 accident near Aberdeen, Mississippi, September 2, 1997
On September 2, 1997 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Learjet 31, registered N71JC, was destroyed in an accident near Aberdeen, Mississippi (Monroe County airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew's failure to extend the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1997 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Aberdeen, Mississippi · Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Learjet 31 · all 31s on the register
- Registration
- N71JC · no longer on the register · serial 31008
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane was high and fast on final approach, because of restricted visibility in haze, and he executed a go-around. The pilot and copilot do not recall retracting the landing gear. During the second approach, the pilot stated he did not extended the gear because he was 'sure in his mind that the gear was already down'. The airplane landed with the gear retracted. The airplane slid approximately 3,000 feet. Following the landing, the airplane caught fire under the right wing root, and the fire could not be extinguished with hand held fire extinguishers. Both pilots safely evacuated the airplane.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,947 hours in all; 1,860 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 16,037 as pilot in command; 4,942 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,845 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 23, 1997; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,750 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE731-2-38 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MBO Madison MS at 2:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,801 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from CBM, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ATL97LA131.