NTSB issues urgent Learjet landing gear warning after fatal Scottsdale crash 

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued an urgent safety recommendation calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to mandate immediate inspections of the main landing gear on several Learjet models. The move follows a fatal February 2025 crash in Arizona involving a Learjet 35A whose landing gear separated on touchdown. 

On February 10, 2025, the twin-engine business jet was attempting to land at Scottsdale Airport (SDL) when it veered sharply left during rollout and struck a parked Gulfstream G200 on the ramp. The Learjet’s captain was killed, while the first officer and a passenger aboard the jet, along with a person inside the parked Gulfstream, sustained serious injuries. 

Investigators determined that the Learjet’s left main landing gear detached during landing after the retaining bolt failed to pass through the aft trunnion pin — a small but crucial connection that secures the gear to the airframe. The gear was found on an adjacent taxiway after the accident. Video of the approach reportedly showed the jet’s left gear trailing aft before touchdown. 

The NTSB noted that the Scottsdale crash was not an isolated event. The agency cited three previous cases — in 1995, 2001, and 2008 — in which Learjet main landing gear assemblies either collapsed or separated during landing due to similar installation errors. In each instance, the retaining bolt had been installed but was not actually engaged through the trunnion pin, leaving the gear effectively unsecured even though the defect was nearly impossible to spot during normal inspections. 

In an urgent recommendation issued October 29, 2025, the NTSB urged the FAA to require operators of 10 Learjet models — approximately 1,883 aircraft in total — to comply with Bombardier service bulletins directing one-time landing gear attachment inspections. The affected types include the Learjet 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31, 35, 36, 55, and 60. 

The Safety Board also recommended that Bombardier revise maintenance procedures to add a mandatory visual check verifying that the aft trunnion pin and retaining bolt are correctly positioned after gear-related maintenance. Without that step, the NTSB warned, a mechanic could unknowingly misinstall the bolt, leaving the landing gear dangerously loose. 

Limited authority, rising concern 

While the NTSB can issue recommendations, it lacks the regulatory power to enforce them. It’s now up to the FAA to determine whether to follow through with an Airworthiness Directive (AD), which would make the inspection mandatory. 

The NTSB’s recommendation also points to frustration with the FAA’s earlier handling of the issue. In July 2025, the FAA’s Corrective Action Review Board concluded that Bombardier’s voluntary service bulletins were sufficient and decided not to issue an AD. The NTSB called that decision “incommensurate with the longstanding aviation safety risk” and said it failed to address a known hazard. 

Bombardier, which discontinued production of Learjets in 2022 but continues to support the fleet, issued its service bulletin on March 7, 2025, advising operators to perform a one-time inspection of the gear assembly. According to the manufacturer, only about 12% of the affected aircraft have undergone the recommended check so far — a figure the NTSB deemed far too low given the risks posed by the potential failure. 

Until or unless the FAA issues an Airworthiness Directive, compliance with Bombardier’s inspection bulletin remains technically voluntary. But for operators, the message from investigators is clear: treat the inspection as a matter of urgency. The procedure is relatively simple and, according to the NTSB, can be completed in about two hours per aircraft. 

The agency emphasized that the misassembly is not detectable through routine preflight or visual walk-around inspections, meaning a missed retaining-bolt engagement could go unnoticed until failure — potentially with catastrophic results. 

The final accident report on the Scottsdale Learjet crash, listed as case WPR25FA088, is expected in 2026. In the meantime, the NTSB said its urgent recommendation is intended to “prevent another loss of life stemming from a preventable maintenance error.” The post NTSB issues urgent Learjet landing gear warning after fatal Scottsdale crash  appeared first on AeroTime.

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