Gates Learjet LR35 accident near Kansas City, Missouri, January 1, 1997
On January 1, 1997 at about 8:30 am local time, a Gates Learjet LR35, registered N8040A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kansas City, Missouri (Kansas City Downtown airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 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 flightcrew's excessive airspeed and failure to attain a proper touchdown point on the runway. Factors were: the fog, wet runway, tailwind and improper procedures by the flight crew.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 1997 · about 8:30 am local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Kansas City Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Gates Learjet LR35
- Registration
- N8040A · no longer on the register · serial 35-048
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had just executed an ILS runway 3 approach and was cleared to land by the control tower operator. The landing approach was flown with excessive airspeed. The airplane touched down on the runway with approximately 2,000 feet of runway remaining, and tire skid marks were seen for approximately 2,000 feet on the runway. The airplane went off the runway, past the departure end of the runway, and collided with 2 aircraft and a hangar. The airplane was not configured correctly for landing. The flaps were found at 20 degrees; both the AFM and company procedure recommend 40 degrees for landing. The drag chute had not been used. A review of the airframe and engines did not reveal any abnormalities, and the pilots did not report any malfunctions with the airframe or engines. The weather at the time of the accident was reported as 100 feet overcast with a runway 3 visibility range of 5,000 feet, the wind was from 200 degrees at 10 knots. The runway was wet.
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: 8,132 hours in all; 4,711 in this make and model; 234 in the last 90 days; 81 in the last 30 days; 3,937 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,163 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 180 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 18,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TFE-731-2-2B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Denver CO
- Destination: MKC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 5,022 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:25 am from MKC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.