Gates Learjet LEARJET 35 accident near Des Moines, Iowa, July 18, 1989
On July 18, 1989 at about 7:30 am local time, a Gates Learjet LEARJET 35, registered N701AS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Des Moines, Iowa (Des Moines Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND RUNWAY ALIGNMENT DURING THE LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ADVERSE WEATHER/RUNWAY/TERRAIN CONDITIONS, FAILURE OF THE LOCAL CONTROLLER TO WARN THE PILOT OF POSSIBLE HYDROPLANING CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S DECISION NOT TO USE REVERSE THRUST, AND RUNWAY LIGHT ABUTMENTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1989 · about 7:30 am local time
- Place
- Des Moines, Iowa · Des Moines Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Gates Learjet LEARJET 35
- Registration
- N701AS · no longer on the register · serial 047
- 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 PIC RPRTD THAT DURING AN IFR ARRIVAL TO THE DES MOINES INTL ARPT, HE DETECTED WHAT SEEMED TO BE MICROBURSTS & ELECTED TO MAKE A MISSED APCH. DURING A 2ND APCH (ILS RWY 30R APCH), WX CONDITIONS WERE BETTER & TOWER PSNL RPRTD ONLY LIGHT RAIN & WINDS, SO HE CONTINUED FOR A LANDING. THE APCH & TOUCHDOWN WERE NORMAL & REVERSE THRUST WAS NOT USED. HOWEVER, THE PLT RPRTD THAT WHEN HE APPLIED BRAKES, HE REALIZED THE ACFT WAS HYROPLANING. SOON THEREAFTER, IT ANGLED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY, THOUGH IT WAS BEING STEERED TO THE LEFT. THE ACFT THEN ENCTRD SOFT MUD, HIT 2 LANDING LIGHT ABUTMENTS & WAS DAMAGED. THE RWY WAS RPRTD TO SLOPE DOWNWARD TOWARD THE MIDPOINT. THE PLT STATED THAT A FEW HRS LATER, WATER WAS STILL STANDING IN LOW POINTS ON THE RWY, THOUGH RAIN HAD STOPPED FALLING. ALSO, HE STATED THE LOCAL CONTROLLER HAD NOT WARNED HIM OF POSSIBLE HYDROPLANING THOUGH AT LEAST 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN A SHORT PERIOD BEFORE THE PLANE HAD LANDED. THE 0244 CDT WIND WAS RPRTD TO BE FROM 200 DEG AT 9 KTS.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,554 hours in all; 2,334 in this make and model; 270 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days; 5,471 as pilot in command; 912 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,364 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 4, 1989; 175 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 18,300 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE-731-2-2B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30R, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:44 am from DSM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.