Gates Learjet 23 accident near Charleston, West Virginia, November 5, 1986
On November 5, 1986 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Gates Learjet 23, registered N344WC, was involved in an accident near Charleston, West Virginia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. 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
- November 5, 1986 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gates Learjet 23 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N344WC · no longer on the register · serial 23-23-092
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIC LOST CONSCIOUSNESS DURING CRUISE NEAR CHARLESTON WV WHILE ON A REVENUE FLT. THE CO-PLT ASSUMED COMMAND AND LANDED AT CHARLESTON WV WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PIC WAS HOSPITALIZED AND THE FLT CONTINUED ON TO DETROIT MI AFTER A REPLACEMENT PIC WAS BROUGHT IN FROM DETROIT.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 15,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CJ-610-4 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHS Charleston SC
- Destination: DET Detroit MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.