Learjet 35 accident near Guantanamo Bay, OF, December 2, 2022
On December 2, 2022 at about 2:08 am local time, a 1981 Learjet 35, registered N979RF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Guantanamo Bay, OF (Guantanamo Bay Naval Air Stati airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s continuation of an unstable approach which resulted in abnormal runway contact during the landing flare and touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2022 · about 2:08 am local time
- Place
- Guantanamo Bay, OF, Cu · Guantanamo Bay Naval Air Stati · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Learjet 35 A, built 1981 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N979RF · registry record · serial 376
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew reported that during a civilian positioning flight to pick up a medical patient, they were cleared to land via a visual approach at night. During the base segment in the traffic pattern, the first officer, who was the pilot flying, lost sight of the runway and transferred the flight controls to the captain at an altitude of about 900 ft mean sea level. The first officer stated that after the exchange of the flight controls, the “aircraft was on short final and passed over the threshold at an angle.” Subsequently, during the captain’s landing flare and touchdown, the stick shaker activated, and the left wing dropped and impacted the runway. The captain completed the landing roll, stopped the airplane on the runway, and all of the occupants exited without incident. The impact with the runway resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The flight crew did not report any preimpact 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
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Flight crew
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,732 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 151 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 8,753 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,458 hours in all; 146 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 1,141 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,719 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 3, 2022; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 18,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TFE 731-2C-2B (turbofan); 13,633 hours total
- Engine 3: Garrett TFE 731-2C-2B (turbofan); 28,406 hours total
- Operator: Reva, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL at 7:43 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 8,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from MUGM, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): MUGM 020151Z 35010KT 10SM SCT065 BKN080 26/22 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP169 T02560217 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 5 |
Other NTSB records under N979RF 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 ERA23LA081.