Learjet 25D accident near Uvalde, Texas, April 26, 1990
On April 26, 1990 at about 2:55 am local time, a Learjet 25D, registered XAROZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Uvalde, Texas (Garner Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN A PRE-FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, AND HIS IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION, WHICH RESULTED IN AN IN-FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE WEATHER AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FLAMEOUTS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, THE SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN IN THE FORCED LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 1990 · about 2:55 am local time
- Place
- Uvalde, Texas · Garner Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Learjet 25D · all 25Ds on the register
- Registration
- XAROZ · no longer on the register · serial 286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT CREW ENCTRD SVR TURBC IN CRUISE FLT AT FL410, OVER A VIP LVL 4 TO 5 THUNDERSTORM. THE #2 ENG FLAMED OUT, THOUGH CONTINUOUS IGNITION HAD BEEN SELECTED. AFTER THE FLAME-OUT, THE ACFT STARTED TO DSCND & THE CREW BGN TO DIVERT TO A NRBY ARPT. DRG THE DSCNT, THE ACFT ENCTRD LARGE HAIL, HVY RAIN, SVR TURBC, LIGHTNING & ST ELMOS FIRE. THE OTR ENG FLAMED OUT AS THE ACFT WAS DSCNDG THRU FL330 (PRESUMABLY DUE TO HAIL & WATER INGESTION). ATTEMPTED AIR STARTS (BOTH WINDMILLING & STARTER ASSISTED) WERE UNSUCCESSFUL; INTERIOR LGTS BCM EXTREMELY DIM DRG STARTER ASSISTED ATMTS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DMGD DRG A LNDG IN A WHEAT FLD. INV REVEALED THE CREW DID NOT RCV A WX BRIEFING BFR THE FLT. THERE WAS A CONVECTIVE SIGMET (6C) & AN ALERT WX WARNING (AWW 163), WHICH WERE ACTIVE FOR THE AREA. ACCORDING TO A WX STUDY, THERE WAS A SVR THUNDERSTORM, TOPPED AT OR NR FL410, MDT TO SVR UP/DWNDFTS, LARGE HAIL, HVY RAIN, STRONG WIND GUSTS, AND AIRFRAME ICING ABV 12,000' MSL. ALL FRONTAL AREAS OF THE ACFT RCVD MDT TO SVR HAIL DMG.
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, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,746 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 5,550 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,953 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 15,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CJ610-8A (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LBB Lubbock TX at 1:53 am
- Destination: MMTC Torreon
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from DLF, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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.