Learjet 24 accident near Muscatine, Iowa, January 16, 1997
On January 16, 1997 at about 8:28 pm local time, a Learjet 24, registered N991TD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Muscatine, Iowa (Muscatine Municipal airport). It was a positioning 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the snow covered runway edge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1997 · about 8:28 pm local time
- Place
- Muscatine, Iowa · Muscatine Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Learjet 24 · all 24s on the register
- Registration
- N991TD · no longer on the register · serial 24124
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane '...began moving to the left side of the runway...' immediately upon touchdown. He attempted to abort the landing but the airplane contacted snow at the runway's left edge. The airplane exited the runway's left edge and slid sideways, about 300 yards.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,200 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 13,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CJ-610 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Air Network
The flight
- Departed from: FTW Fort Wayne IN at 8:00 pm
- Destination: MUT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 19 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from MUT, 1 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 CHI97LA053.