Detroit City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Detroit, Michigan 48213
Monday, July 22, 1991 21:15 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A LINEMAN NOTED PARKING BRAKE (P/B) WAS SET BFR FLT. PLTS BGN TKOF ON 5147' RWY WITH 10 KT X-WND. A WITNESS SAID ACFT ROTATED FOR TKOF ABT 4500' DWN RWY & LIFTED OFF ABT 50' LTR. RPRTDLY, IT RMND LOW & SLOW (20-60 FT AGL) AFTER LIFT-OFF, THEN BANKED (ROCKED) LEFT & RIGHT IN NOSE HI ATTITUDE, SETTLED, HIT TREES & CRASHED ABT 200' BYD RWY. ONE PERSON SAID ACFT WENT OUT OF CTL BFR IMPACT; ANOTHER SAID IT WAS 'IN OR ON THE EDGE OF STALLED FLIGHT.' EXAM SHOWED ROTATIONAL DMG OCCURRED IN BOTH ENGS DRG IMPACT. THE BRAKING SYS HAD EVIDENCE THAT P/B CTL VLV WAS PARTIALLY ON; BRAKE TORQUE TUBE CONTAINED HEAT BLUEING. ON THIS EARLY MODEL (LEARJET 23/SN: 23-45A), P/B HAD TO BE RLSD BY DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDALS 1ST; PLT HANDBOOK DID NOT ADDRESS THIS. ON LTR MODELS (SN: 23-050 & UP), P/B NEEDED ONLY TO BE MOVED 'OFF.' INV SHOWED LEFT SEAT PLT HAD TRNG IN LATER MODELS (LEARJET 24/25); BUT ONLY A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW WAS NOTED IN THE MODEL 23. COMPANY DISPATCHER SAID NO TRNG WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON ACDNT FLT (WITH PSGR ABOARD). ACFT WAS ABT 430 LBS OVR MAX WT LMT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

IMPROPER PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, HIS FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF WHILE THERE WAS SUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINING, AND HIS FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT ATTAINED SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED FOR LIFT-OFF AND CLIMB. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITHIN ITS MAXIMUM WEIGHT LIMITATION, HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE PARKING BRAKE, AND INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION IN THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK CONCERNING THE AIRCRAFT PARKING BRAKE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/22/1991
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 2115
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City DETROIT
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 48213
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DETROIT CITY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DET
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 626
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2121 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 335
Weather Observation Facility ID DET
Elevation of weather observation facility 626
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 475
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 22 1991 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2041
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 44798
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N959SC
NTSB Number CHI91MA224
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name LEARJET
Aircraft Model 23
Aircraft Series Identifier 23
Aircraft Serial Number 23-045A
Certified Max Gross Weight 12500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 8
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JETSTREAM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 11206 CONNER ST.
Operator City DETROIT
Operator State MI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 48213
Operator Code BUKA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code DET
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MDW
Destination City CHICAGO
Destination State IL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 33
Runway Length 5147
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --