Learjet 55 accident near Farmingdale, New Jersey, February 26, 2020
On February 26, 2020 at about 4:56 am local time, a 1982 Learjet 55, registered N135LR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Farmingdale, New Jersey (Monmouth Executive airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's failure to stop the airplane on the available runway, which was wet and resulted in the airplane impacting a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2020 · about 4:56 am local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Farmingdale, New Jersey · Monmouth Executive · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Learjet 55 Undesignat, built 1982 · all 55s on the register
- Registration
- N135LR · no longer on the register · serial 068
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he and the copilot were conducting an instrument approach to the runway in a business jet. He noted that the weather conditions included fog and mist. After touching down about 1,500 ft down the 7,300-ft-long runway, he engaged the thrust reversers and applied the brakes gradually because the runway was "slippery." As the airplane approached the end of the runway, he applied full braking, but the airplane departed the end of the runway and impacted a ditch, which resulted in the forward landing gear breaking and the airplane nosing down. The copilot corroborated the pilot's statement. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Runway excursion during landing defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Flight crew
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Landing distance › Capability exceeded
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,288 hours in all; 2,909.8 in this make and model; 8,713 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 13, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,759 hours in all; 1,978.9 in this make and model; 104.3 in the last 90 days; 35.5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 13, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,792.3 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 18, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 21,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garret TFG 731-3AR-2 (turbofan); 12,665 hours total
- Engine 2: Garret TFG 731-3AR- (turbofan); 12,611 hours total
- Operator: Northwest Aircraft Rental INC
The flight
- Departed from: RIC Richmond VA at 4:00 am
- Destination: BLM Farmingdale NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 7,345 ft by 85 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 am from BLM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Photographs from the investigation 5 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of airplane nose down in a ditch
Photo 2 – View of broken nose gear
Photo 3 – View of runway environment where airplane departed runway 14
Photo 4 - View of top of airplane showing buckling on the top of the fuselage
Photo 5 - View of right side of fuselage showing bucklingThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 13, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flightcrew Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record Pilot Telephone Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N135LR: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Learjet 55 67 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Garret TFG 731-3AR-2 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Garret TFG 731-3AR- · as the NTSB recorded it
- Monmouth Executive · nearest airport
- Richmond International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in New Jersey 1,189 since 1982 · 135 in the last ten years
- New Jersey 3,017 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA20CA113.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.