Gates Learjet CORP. 35A accident near Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 15, 2021
On April 15, 2021 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1981 Gates Learjet CORP. 35A, registered N354EF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Colorado Springs, Colorado (City Of Colorado Springs Muni airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s improper decision to continue the unstabilized approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the runway during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2021 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Colorado Springs, Colorado · City Of Colorado Springs Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Gates Learjet CORP. 35A, built 1981
- Registration
- N354EF · no longer on the register · serial 35A-378
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew was conducting an instrument approach to the destination airport with the captain as the pilot monitoring and the copilot as the pilot flying. The airplane exited an overcast layer of clouds about 650 to 700 ft above ground level and about 1/2 mile right of the runway centerline. The captain requested the flight controls and returned the airplane to the runway extended centerline about 100 ft above ground level and reduced the throttles to “idle.” During landing, the stick shaker activated, and the captain applied engine power; however, the airplane stalled, and the right wingtip fuel tank impacted the runway, resulting in substantial damage. There was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The operator’s operations manual specified that a stabilized approach should be established no later than 500 ft above airport elevation.
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
What happened, in order
- Course deviation during approach
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Flight crew
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,150 hours in all; 5,500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 28, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,551 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 202 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 549 as pilot in command; 230 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 30, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,955 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,300 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Honeywell TFE731-2-2B (turbofan); 21,303 hours total
- Engine 2: Honeywell TFE731-2-2B (turbofan); 20,355 hours total
- Operator: Medway Air Ambulance LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KAPA Englewood CO at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17R/, 11,022 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 am from COS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 27, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Statement - Pilot in Command | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Statement - Second in Command | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Company Operations Manual Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Log | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.