Gates Learjet 35 accident near Atlantic City, New Jersey, July 13, 1994
On July 13, 1994 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Gates Learjet 35, registered N69PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atlantic City, New Jersey (Atlantic City Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNDER-INFLATION OF THE TIRES, DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, WHICH RESULTED IN OVERHEATING AND SUBSEQUENT TIRE FAILURE; THE INCORRECT CHECKLIST THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE AIRCREW; AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO DEPLOY THE DRAG CHUTE, WHEN THE THRUST REVERSERS DID NOT OPERATE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1994 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Atlantic City, New Jersey · Atlantic City Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gates Learjet 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N69PS · registry record · serial 14
- 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 PILOT (PIC) SAID THAT DURING TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE 'PULLED' LEFT BEFORE REACHING V1 (TAKEOFF DECISION SPEED) & HE HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. HE INITIATED AN ABORT, BUT COULD NOT STOP ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE PLANE CROSSED A CONCRETE SLAB THAT PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTED AN APPROACH LIGHT & THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PLANE STOPPED 446' FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE OUTER LEFT TIRE HAD BLOWN DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT INNER TIRE & BOTH RIGHT MAIN TIRES. PIC WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN REVERSE THRUST. THE THRUST REVERSERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN (BUT WERE NOT) ARMED BEFORE TAKEOFF; THIS WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE CHECKLIST THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE FLIGHTCREW. ALSO, THE PIC DID NOT DEPLOY THE DRAG CHUTE. COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INDICATED THE TIRES HAD BEEN UNDER-INFLATED WHEN THEY WERE BUILT UP & INSTALLED, SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT & THAT THE TIRES HAD NOT BEEN CHECKED OR REINFLATED AFTER BUILDUP. GOODYEAR REPORTED THE TIRES COULD HAVE BEEN UP TO 50% UNDER-INFLATED. AN EXAM OF THE TIRES DISCLOSED EVIDENCE OF UNDER-INFLATION, & SUBSEQUENT OVERHEATING.
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 land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,869 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 203 in the last 90 days; 79 in the last 30 days; 5,655 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,569 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 21, 1994; 171 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 17,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE-731-2-2B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ACY at 7:00 pm
- Destination: EWR Newark NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 10,000 ft by 180 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from AC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC94FA123.