Learjet 35 crash, Nov 9, 2014 (9 killed), Freeport
Learjet 35 accident on November 9, 2014 near Freeport, West Grand Bahama, Bahamas with 9 fatalities. Cause: AAIPU: the crew's poor decision making in...
- Date: November 9, 2014
- Aircraft: Learjet 35
- Location: Freeport, West Grand Bahama, Bahamas
- Fatalities: 9
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: AAIPU: the crew's poor decision making in initiating and continuing a descent in IMC below the authorized altitude without visual contact with the runway environment. Contributing factors included improper approach planning, failure to follow the ILS approach, insufficient situational awareness, inadequate CRM, and the crew deliberately disabling the terrain alert warning system.
On 9 November 2014 a Learjet 35A registered N17UF and chartered for Bahamas Faith Ministries was flying from Nassau to Freeport, Bahamas. On a second ILS approach in poor weather the crew descended visually below the authorized altitude, struck a crane at the Grand Bahama Shipyard and crashed inverted into a recycling plant. All nine people aboard were killed and no one on the ground was injured. The AAIPU attributed the accident to the crew's poor decision making.