Learjet 45 incident near Denver, Colorado, October 22, 2003
On October 22, 2003 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Learjet 45, registered N420FX, was involved in an incident near Denver, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the airplane's spoiler system when used as speed brakes due to high resistances in the spoilers' actuator coils.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2003 · about 11:30 pm local time · cases in 2003
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Learjet 45 · all 45s on the register
- Registration
- N420FX · registry record · serial 45-126
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was descending through 13,000 feet when the captain extended both spoilers as speed brakes to reduce the airplane's speed. The left spoiler came up and the right spoiler barely moved, causing the airplane to roll to the left. The pilots saw the amber-colored "Spoiler Fail CAS" light illuminate. The captain retracted the spoilers, rolled the airplane back to a level attitude, and began running the appropriate emergency checklist. The captain continued the descent and landed uneventfully. An examination of the airplane showed high internal resistance in the left and right spoilers' actuator coils. No other anomalies were found.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,700 hours in all; 1,140 in this make and model; 5,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,660 hours in all; 1,135 in this make and model; 2,340 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 13, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,102 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 20,500 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Honeywell TFE-731-20AR (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Honeywell TFE-731-20AR (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Vestar Capital Partners
The flight
- Departed from: TEB Teterburo NJ at 6:49 pm
- Destination: DEN Denver CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from DEN, 270 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N420FX on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Learjet 45 432 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Honeywell TFE-731-20AR 51 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Honeywell TFE-731-20AR 51 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Teterboro Airport · departed from
- Denver International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,485 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DEN04IA014.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.