Learjet 55B accident near Los Angeles, California, December 17, 1998
On December 17, 1998 at about 4:56 pm local time, a Learjet 55B, registered N554CL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the total loss of electrical power due to the flight crew's failure to complete the engine start checklist, or the electrical power failure checklist, which kept the generators off line and resulted in the complete discharged of both batteries. Also causal to the accident was the captain's failure to perform the emergency landing gear extension checklists, which resulted in a wheels-up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1998 · about 4:56 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Learjet 55B · all 55Bs on the register
- Registration
- N554CL · registry record · serial 55-040
- 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 twin turbojet airplane landed gear-up after experiencing a gradual loss of electrical power and the eventual total drain of both batteries. The flight crew taxied out to the runway at the departure airport with only the right engine running. When the flight crew received their takeoff clearance, they started the left engine and taxied onto the runway. After takeoff, they started to experience a loss in radio communications, transponder transmissions, autopilot control, and annunciator and panel lights. The flight crew attempted a landing after selecting normal landing gear extension. When they realized that the landing gear were not extended, the flight crew performed a go-around and the captain attempted to extend the landing gear using the emergency blow down system. The captain failed to hold the emergency blow down handle until it latched preventing the landing gear system from extending properly. The flight crew then landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted without utilizing the emergency free fall system. Review of the cockpit voice recorder revealed that there was no indication that the flight crew completed the engine start checklist, which would have put the engine driven generators on-line. There was also no indication that the flight crew examined the electrical system or performed an electrical failure checklist. It was also apparent that the flight crew failed to properly perform the alternate landing gear extension methods. The electrical system was examined after the accident. There were no anomalies noted that would have prevent normal operation of the primary electrical system, or, either the normal or emergency landing gear extension systems.
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 sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,231 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 185 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days; 1,689 as pilot in command; 1,257 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 27, 1998
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 19,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett-Airesearch TPE 731 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett-Airesearch TPE 731 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SAN San Diego CA at 4:28 pm
- Destination: LAX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25L, 11,096 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 100 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N554CL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.