Learjet 24 accident near Avalon, California, January 30, 1984
On January 30, 1984 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Learjet 24, registered N44GA, was destroyed in an accident near Avalon, California (Catalina airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people were killed. 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
- January 30, 1984 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Avalon, California · Catalina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Learjet 24 · all 24s on the register
- Registration
- N44GA · registry record · serial 129
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT DEPARTED ON A SALES DEMO FLT TO MONTEREY, CA WITH POTENTIAL BUYERS ABOARD. EN ROUTE, THE DESTINATION WAS CHANGED TO AVALON, CA. UNICOM ADVISED THE CREW OF THE WIND DIRECTION & SPEED ON DOWNWIND. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY HI ON FINAL, BUT SAID THE PLT CORRECTED THE ANGLE OF DESCENT. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN APRX 500' DOWN THE RWY, WHICH WAS CROWNED (SLOPED UPWARD FOR APRX THE 1ST 2000', THEN LEVELED OFF). THE CREW COULD NOT SEE THE END OF THE RWY AT TOUCHDOWN. THE THRUST REVERSERS WERE DEPLOYED APRX 1000' AFTER TOUCHDOWN. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENG SOUND INCREASE,THEN DECREASE, THEN INCREASE AGAIN AS THE ACFT WENT OFF THE RWY & OVER A 90' BLUFF. FIRE ERUPTED IMMEDIATELY. WITHIN 3 MIN, ARPT PSNL ARRIVED WITH FIREFIGHTING EQUIP, BUT THEY WERE NOT TRAINED AS FIREFIGHTERS & DID NOT TRY TO STOP THE FIREFOR FEAR OF AN EXPLOSION. NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. FOUND L FLAP EXTENDED, L SPOILER RETRACTED & LOCKED, TIRE MARKS ON RWY. ESTIMATED GROSS WT: 11,500 LBS. COMPUTED LANDING DIST OVER A 50' OBSTCL: 3100'.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,306 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, August 8, 1900; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CJ610-4 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Aviation Business Flights
The flight
- Departed from: STS Santa Rosa CA
- Destination: AVX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 3,240 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:25 pm from AVX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.