Contributor - Accidents and Regulations

Gordon Gilbert

The June 23, 2014 midair between a Learjet 35 and a German air force Eurofighter was attributed to the business jet’s operator and crew, as well as the to air force, according to the <a href="http://www.bfu-web.de/EN/Publications/Investigation%20Report/2014/Report_14_1X002_LearJet_EUFighter.pdf;jsessionid=80AB71FE69211F0BF55A0CA97F15CDA3.live1041?__blob=publicationFile" target="_blank">recently released final report</a> from the German Federal Bureau of Accident Investigation (BFU). The Learjet was being flown by a civil operator participating in a so-called "Renegade" mission, where the “unknown” civil aircraft had to be intercepted, identified and accompanied by a pair of Eurofighters to a military airport.

 


The BFU said that just before the collision, the Learjet conducted an “unexpected maneuver,” specifically, continuing a left-hand turn with an “excessive bank angle despite the loss of visual contact with the Eurofighter flying at the inside of the turn.”

 


Also, the BFU concluded that the business jet operator and the Air Force had not “sufficiently described the Renegade training nor had a commensurate risk analysis been done.” After the collision, the Learjet crashed, killing the two pilots. The pilot of the Eurofighter safely landed his severely damaged airplane. 
 
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News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Learjet Operator and Crew Cited in Fatal Midair

Learjet conducted an “unexpected maneuver,” continuing a left-hand turn with an “excessive bank angle despite the loss of visual contact" with the fighter.