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3d ago

NTSB Urges FAA to Mandate Learjet Landing Gear Inspections After Fatal Scottsdale Crash

Low uptake of voluntary checks plus a hard-to-detect misassembly prompted a call for a quick, one-time inspection across roughly 1,883 jets.

FILE - Investigators look at a crashed Learjet at Scottsdale Airport after it collided with a parked plane Feb. 10, 2025, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
Firefighters work on a crashed Learjet after it collided with a parked plane on February 10, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
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Overview

  • Investigators say a misinstalled retaining bolt that failed to engage the aft trunnion pin caused the left main gear to separate on landing in the February 10 Learjet 35A accident in Scottsdale, killing the captain and injuring others.
  • The NTSB’s urgent recommendation asks the FAA to require operators of 10 Learjet models to comply with Bombardier’s March service bulletin for a one-time inspection estimated at about two hours per aircraft.
  • Bombardier reports only about 12% of the affected fleet has completed the check, a level the NTSB deems insufficient for a risk not readily detectable during routine maintenance or preflight walk-arounds.
  • A second recommendation urges Bombardier to add a post-maintenance visual verification that the aft trunnion pin and retaining bolt are correctly aligned and secured to prevent recurrence.
  • The board cited three similar Learjet gear failures in 1995, 2001, and 2008, noted the FAA declined to issue an Airworthiness Directive in July, and said its investigation continues with a final report expected in 2026.