On June 18, 1994, about 0625, a Transportes Aereos Ejecutivos, S.A. (TAESA) Learjet 25D, XA-BBA, crashed 0.8 nautical miles south of the threshold of runway 1R at Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia, during an instrument landing system approach in instrument meteorological conditions. All 10 passengers and both crewmembers aboard were killed. The airplane was destroyed by impact, and there was no fire.
We determined that the probable causes of the accident were the poor decision making, poor airmanship, and relative inexperience of the captain in initiating and continuing an unstabilized instrument approach that led to a descent below the authorized altitude without visual contact with the runway environment.
Contributing to the cause of the accident was the lack of a ground proximity warning system on the airplane.
As a result of the investigation of this and other accidents, we made the following recommendations:
To the Federal Aviation Administration:
- Require within 2 years that all turbo jet-powered airplanes equipped with six or more passenger seats have an operating ground proximity warning system installed. (A-95-35)
- Require that all Operations Specifications of Part 129 operators be reviewed to ensure that they are current, and contain specific language that establishes RVR, when reported, as controllng for purposes of establishing visibility minimurn. (A-95-36)
- Formally notify the Mexican Director General Civil Aviation of the circumstances of the accident, with particular emphasis on the lack of adherence to pertinent regulations and requirements of the United States, Mexico, and ICAO. (A-95-37)
