Learjet INC 45 accident near Batesville, Arkansas, November 30, 2022
On November 30, 2022 at about 1:10 am local time, a 2007 Learjet INC 45, registered N988MC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Batesville, Arkansas (Batesville Regional Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 6 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The crew’s failure to execute a go-around during the unstable approach and long landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2022 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Batesville, Arkansas · Batesville Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 6 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Learjet INC 45, built 2007
- Registration
- N988MC · registry record · serial 352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The two pilots were conducting a business flight with six passengers when the accident occurred. During the night arrival the captain flew a visual approach with excessive airspeed and the airplane crossed the runway threshold more than 50 knots above approach speed (Vref). The before-landing checklist was not completed, and the flaps were at an incorrect 20° position instead of 40°. The airplane touched down near the midfield point of the 6,022 ft non-grooved runway, which was wet due to earlier precipitation. The captain initially applied intermittent braking, then applied continuous braking starting about 2,069 ft from the end of the runway. The captain did not deploy the thrust reversers. The airplane exited the runway above 100 knots groundspeed, then continued into a ditch and airport perimeter fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the forward fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The operator’s flight manual directed that all approaches were to be flown using the stabilized approach concept. For a visual approach, this included establishing and maintaining the proper approach speed and correct landing configuration at least 500 ft above the airport elevation. Neither pilot recognized the requirement to execute a go-around due to the excessive approach speed or the long landing on a wet runway, which resulted in the runway excursion.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Copilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,910 hours in all; 1,560 in this make and model; 285 in the last 90 days; 103 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 27, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 505 hours in all; 263 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 166 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,490 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 28, 2022; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 19,200 lb
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Honeywell TFE731-20BR-1 (turbofan); 2,490 hours total
- Engine 2: Honeywell TFE731-20BR-1 (turbofan); 2,490 hours total
- Operator: Creamer Pilot Services LLC
The flight
- Departed from: ALO Waterloo IA at 11:57 pm
- Destination: BVX Batesville AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 6,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.68 inHg
- Observation at 7:10 pm from KBVX
Weather report (METAR): KBVX 300110Z AUTO 24005KT 10SM OVC010 17/16 A2968 RMK T01700160
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
19 documents, released by the NTSB on April 10, 2024. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 CEN23LA056.