Gates Learjet 35A accident near Groton, Connecticut, June 2, 2006
On June 2, 2006 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Gates Learjet 35A, registered N182K, was destroyed in an accident near Groton, Connecticut (Groton airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were killed and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The crew's failure to properly monitor the airplane's altitude, which resulted in the captain's inadvertent descent of the airplane into water. Contributing to the accident were the foggy weather conditions, and the captain's decision to descend below the decision height without sufficient visual cues.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2006 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Groton, Connecticut · Groton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Gates Learjet 35A · all 35As on the register
- Registration
- N182K · registry record · serial 239
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The crew briefed the Instrument Landing System approach, including the missed approach procedures. Weather at the time included a 100-foot broken cloud layer, and at the airport, 2 miles visibility. The approach was flown over water, and at the accident location, there was dense fog. Two smaller airplanes had successfully completed the approach prior to the accident airplane. The captain flew the approach and the first officer made 100-foot callouts during the final descent, until 200 feet above the decision height. At that point, the captain asked the first officer if he saw anything. The first officer reported "ground contact," then noted "decision height." The captain immediately reported "I got the lights" which the first officer confirmed. The captain reduced the power to flight idle. Approximately 4 seconds later, the captain attempted to increase power. However, the engines did not have time to respond before the airplane descended into the water and impacted a series of approach light stanchions, commencing about 2,000 feet from the runway. Neither crew member continued to call out altitudes after seeing the approach lights, and the captain descended the airplane below the decision height before having the requisite descent criteria. The absence of ground references could have been conducive to a featureless terrain illusion in which the captain would have believed that the airplane was at a higher altitude than it actually was. There were no mechanical anomalies which would have precluded normal airplane 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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,750 hours in all; 7,500 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,275 hours in all; 289 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,704 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 1, 2006; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 18,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Honeywell TFE731-2-2B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Honeywell TFE731-2-2B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: International Jet Charter, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: ACY Atlantic City at 5:47 pm
- Destination: GON Groton CT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 05, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from GON, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 NYC06FA137.