Sabreliner Corp. 40 accident near San Antonio, Texas, January 21, 2005
On January 21, 2005 at about 6:47 pm local time, a Sabreliner Corp. 40, registered XBJGI, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio International airport). It was an executive or corporate 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the aircraft hydraulic system as result of improper maintenance by company maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 2005 · about 6:47 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · San Antonio International · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sabreliner Corp. 40
- Registration
- XBJGI · no longer on the register · serial 282-80
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement, the 5,000-hour commercial pilot reported that after starting the right engine and completing a pre-taxi checklist on the ramp, he noted that all of the indications given by the instruments were normal. He was then cleared to taxi, so he turned the steering control on and advanced the power. The airplane moved straight ahead, and the pilot attempted to make a left turn. It was at this time that he realized his inputs to steer were ineffective. The airplane continued straight ahead. The pilot attempted to stop the airplane by applying pressure to the brakes and then the emergency brake, but these actions were ineffective as well. The airplane continued forward and passed between two aircraft that were parked on the ramp, striking the airplane on its left with the left wing tip. The pilots then shut down the right engine, and the airplane continued in its forward momentum until it finally came to a halt. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the hydraulic fluid reservoir was empty, and the cockpit hydraulic pressure gauges indicated 2,000 pounds per square inch (psi). The thrust reversers on the airplane had undergone maintenance prior to the accident at their home base. The maintenance manual for the airplane states, "An operational test of the hydraulic power system must be performed if a unit has been replaced, if adjustments have been made to any unit, or if hydraulic lines have been disconnected. The test must be thorough enough to ensure that the system is free of hydraulic leaks and that no malfunction could occur because of improper maintenance." The manual goes on to state, "Because of allowable indication error in the hydraulic pressure indicating system, the pressure on the gauge may not be the actual system pressure. For this reason, the indication error of the hydraulic pressure gauge and pressure transmitter should be known, if these instruments are used to determine the serviceability of hydraulic units." A representative of the DGAC of Mexico examined the airplane on February 21, 2005, and found air in the hydraulic system. Hydraulic fluid was added to the system, and an operational check of the airplane's two separate hydraulic pumps was performed, which revealed no anomalies.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT-12 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT-12 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAT San Antonio TX at 5:47 pm
- Destination: Toluca
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from SAT
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.