1999 South Dakota Learjet crash
N47BA before its final flight.
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 25, 1999 |
| Summary | Crew incapacitation due to decompression |
| Site |
Edmunds County, South Dakota (near Aberdeen and Mina) 45°25′00″N 98°45′00″W / 45.41667°N 98.75000°WCoordinates: 45°25′00″N 98°45′00″W / 45.41667°N 98.75000°W |
| Passengers | 4 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 6 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Learjet 35 |
| Operator | SunJet Aviation |
| Registration | N47BA |
| Flight origin | Orlando, Florida |
| Destination | Dallas Love Field, Texas |
On October 25, 1999, a chartered Learjet 35 was scheduled to fly from Orlando, Florida, to Dallas, Texas. Early in the flight, the aircraft, which was climbing to its assigned altitude on autopilot, quickly lost cabin pressure and all on board were incapacitated due to hypoxia – a lack of oxygen. The aircraft continued climbing past its assigned altitude, then failed to make the westward turn toward Dallas over north Florida and continued on its northwestern course, flying over the southern and midwestern United States for almost four hours and 1,500 miles (2,400 km). The plane ran out of fuel over South Dakota and crashed into a field near Aberdeen after an uncontrolled descent. The four passengers on board were PGA golfer Payne Stewart, his agents, Van Ardan and Robert Fraley, and Bruce Borland, a golf architect with the Jack Nicklaus golf course design company.
On October 25, 1999, Learjet 35, registration N47BA, operated by Sunjet Aviation of Sanford, Florida, departed Orlando International Airport (IATA: MCO, ICAO: KMCO) at 1319Z (0919 EDT) on a two-day, five-flight trip. Before departure, the aircraft had been fueled with 5,300 lb (2,400 kg) of Jet A, enough for 4 hours and 45 minutes of flight. On board were two pilots and four passengers.
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