Gates Learjet 35A accident near Englewood, Colorado, February 26, 1987
On February 26, 1987 at about 11:12 pm local time, a Gates Learjet 35A, registered N888DJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1987 · about 11:12 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Gates Learjet 35A · all 35As on the register
- Registration
- N888DJ · registry record · serial 067
- 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 RWY WAS PLOWED APRX 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS TAKEOFF. ONE-HALF INCH OF SNOW STILL REMAINED ALONG THE RWY CENTERLINE WITH UP TO 3 1/2 INCHES ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RWY. THE ACFT VEERED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN AND CONTINUED APRX 80 FEET OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY INTO ROUGH TERRAIN.
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: 14,653 hours in all; 4,653 in this make and model; 3,853 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,064 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 1, 1986; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 17,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE-731-2-2B (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA at 10:12 pm
- Destination: FMY Ft. Myers FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35R, 10,002 ft by 101 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 340° at 12 knots
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from APA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N888DJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 DEN87LA060.