NTSB urges FAA to require Learjet gear inspections

The NTSB issued an "urgent" recommendation to the FAA October 29 stemming from the ongoing investigation of a February 10 accident in Scottsdale, Arizona, in which the pilot of a Gates Learjet 35A was killed when the aircraft veered off the runway after landing and struck a parked Gulfstream G200. The co-pilot and a passenger in the Learjet were seriously injured, as was an occupant of the parked Gulfstream jet. Investigators quickly determined that the left main landing gear collapsed and separated during touchdown, precipitating the latest of four similar incidents involving various Learjet models dating to 1995.

Bombardier, the current type certificate holder, issued a service bulletin following the accident directing operators to perform a one-time inspection of the landing gear assembly to verify that the gear is correctly attached to the aircraft. Only 12 percent of the 1,883 aircraft currently in service spanning 10 Learjet models have been inspected, the NTSB noted in the October 29 release.

"A second recommendation to the FAA would require Bombardier to revise procedures to include a post-maintenance visual check of the position of the aft landing gear trunnion pin and retaining bolt. In the absence of a required verification step, a mechanic could inadvertently install the retaining bolt without it passing through the trunnion pin, leaving the gear insecurely attached to the airframe. The misassembly is not readily detectable during routine maintenance or preflight inspections," the NTSB noted.

The NTSB posted additional details about the ongoing investigation online.