NTSB and FAA clash over high-profile Learjet crash

On February 10, 2025, Learjet 35A, N81VN (an aircraft owned by Mötley Crüe singer, Vince Neil) was involved in a fatal runway excursion during the aircraft's landing at Scottsdale Airport (KSDL) in Scottsdale, Arizona. On October 27, 2025, the NTSB published preliminary Aviation Investigation Report AIR-25-07 on this event (which may be revised pending the agency's final report). Based on its preliminary findings, the NTSB urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take immediate action on the report's safety recommendations, which addressed specific Learjets' incorrectly attached main landing gear. The NTSB discussed the potential separation of the landing gear from the wing structure during the landing sequence, according to the NTSB's interim report / safety recommendation.Accident SummaryOn February 10, 2025, at approximately 1438 MST, a Learjet 35A, N81VN, was executing a landing on KSDL's runway 21. The aircraft exited the left side of the runway and hit a parked Gulfstream G200, resulting in substantial damage to the Learjet. The Learjet's captain suffered fatal injuries. The aircraft's first officer and one passenger received serious injuries while a second passenger experienced minor injuries. A Gulfstream G200 occupant received serious injuries. Near the Learjet's final approach path, a witness at an adjacent golf course took an 11-second video showing the aircraft on its final approach. The left landing gear trailed aft from its normal position. The video also indicated that the strut was facing aft, according to the NTSB's interim report / safety recommendation. Additional accident insights can be viewed at GlobalAir.com. The NTSB's preliminary findingsThe NTSB's Aviation Investigation Report AIR-25-07, issued on October 27, 2025, discussed the agency's preliminary accident findings. However, the NTSB continues its ongoing investigation, and probable cause has not yet been determined.In its interim report it reported that months before the accident, the aft trunnion pin was improperly installed during the Learjet's main landing gear assembly. Although the pin was inserted through the aft trunnion fitting, it was not seated deeply enough in the trunnion casting to align the bolt holes. As a result, the retaining bolt was installed, secured with a castellated nut and cotter pin, and passed through the casting, but not through the aft trunnion pin itself.During the post-accident examination, investigators found that the aft trunnion pin had separated from the intact aft trunnion casting on the detached left main landing gear. The retaining bolt remained intact and properly secured in the casting. According to the NTSB, the fact that the pin remained intact on the aircraft while absent from the casting indicated that the retaining bolt had never passed through the pin, despite being secured in place.Other Learjet trunnion pin incidentsThe NTSB's investigation uncovered three previous incidents in which a Learjet's landing gear disengaged from the aircraft's airframe. Each disengagement resulted from a retaining bolt that was not secured through the aft trunnion pin. A review of the incidents' data supported the NTSB's decision to issue Bombardier service bulletin and Learjet landing gear inspection compliance recommendations, according to the NTSB's interim report / safety recommendation.October 4, 1995: Learjet 25B aircraft, N47MRFebruary 4, 2001: Learjet 25B aircraft, N48WA March 28, 2008: Learjet VU-35A aircraft (Brazilian Air Force, FAB 2712)Bombardier Learjet service bulletinsOn March 7, 2025, Bombardier (the Learjet manufacturer) responded to the NTSB's preliminary Scottsdale accident findings. Bombardier issued multiple Learjet model-specific service bulletins (SBs) for Learjet aircraft equipped with a similar landing gear configuration. The subject airplanes' landing gear contains an aft trunnion pin and a retaining bolt.Each Service Bulletin recommended that operators perform the following steps within the next 25 flight cycles:Remove the spar 7 access panelVerify that the aft trunnion pin seats flush against the shim and the bushing flangeConfirm the retaining bolt's correct installation through the strut and trunnion pinCorrect all discrepancies prior to the aircraft's next flightThe NTSB stated that service bulletin compliance is optional, not mandatory, according to the NTSB's interim report / safety recommendation.The NTSB vs the FAAIn July 2025, the FAA's Corrective Action Review Board issued its final decision on the applicable Bombardier service bulletins. The FAA stated that the agency did not need to take additional action regarding the SBs. The FAA also chose not to publish an airworthiness directive (AD) requiring mandatory implementation of the Bombardier SBs.The NTSB strongly disagreed with the FAA's stance. The NTSB could not justify the FAA's position given the potential accident risks, Bombardier's recommendation for AD issuance, and the minimal time required to complete the SB work (approximately two hours per aircraft).Per Bombardier, approximately 12% of the 1,883 in-service Learjets affected by the SBs had completed the inspection by the NTSB report date. Without mandatory service bulletin compliance, the NTSB said Learjets could be flying with incorrectly configured main landing gear. Operators could not readily detect the mis-assembly during a preflight inspection or routine maintenance work, according to the NTSB's interim report / safety recommendation.The NTSB's recommendationsGiven the potentially severe consequences of the landing gear mis-assembly, the NTSB recommended that Learjet models mentioned in the Bombardier March 7, 2025 SBs undergo a one-time inspection to determine if the main landing gear is correctly installed. The NTSB also recommended that the FAA require affected Learjet model owners and operators to comply with the applicable Bombardier service bulletins. The subject Learjets' continued airworthiness would be contingent on the SB compliance.Finally, the NTSB expressed concern that the Learjet maintenance manual's main landing gear installation procedures lack a step to ensure correct positioning of the aft trunnion pin. The manual also does not contain a step that would ensure that the retaining bolt is secured through the aft trunnion pin. Given these issues, the NTSB recommended that the FAA require Bombardier to modify applicable maintenance procedures to include an assessment of the aft landing gear trunnion pin and retaining bolt positions. These checks would take place following gear maintenance requiring the aft trunnion's removal, according to the NTSB's interim report / safety recommendation.The NTSB's ongoing investigation The NTSB continues its investigation into Learjet 35A N81VN's fatal runway excursion. The accident's docket has not been released at press time. More information will be available when the NTSB releases its final report.