Overview
On October 16, 2025, at about 1728 eastern standard time, a Raytheon Hawker 800XP airplane, Mexican registration XA-JMR, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Bath Township, Michigan. The captain, co-pilot, and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local area post-maintenance flight.
Maintenance and Flight Crew
The airplane, owned and operated by Aerolineas del Centro, arrived at Duncan Aviation’s maintenance facility at Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field (BTL), Battle Creek, Michigan in March 2025 for routine maintenance. Over seven months, multiple routine inspections were completed, including removal of the wing leading edges and TKS ice protection panels for visual inspection for cracks and corrosion. According to the manufacturer, a post-maintenance stall test flight is required after the leading edge inspection before the airplane can be returned to service.
According to Duncan Aviation personnel, the flight crew was the primary crew for the accident airplane and flew about 150 hours per year. The captain was provided with a list of experienced test pilots to perform the post-maintenance stall test, but after being unable to coordinate with a test pilot, the flight crew elected to perform the stall test themselves. The captain and co-pilot exclusively flew the accident airplane and completed their most recent training at a commercial simulator training facility in May 2025.
Accident Sequence
Preliminary automatic dependent system broadcast (ADS-B) data indicated the airplane departed BTL at 1708 and entered a left climbing turn to an area about 9 miles northeast of BTL. The flight crew requested a block altitude from FL140 to FL160 from air traffic control (ATC), which was approved, and the airplane leveled off at FL150. At 1727, the airplane began a rapid descent from FL140, during which there was an indiscernible transmission from the accident airplane. ATC responded “XA-JMR Cleveland,” and the flight crew replied “we are in a...” followed by a transmission in Spanish that translated to “in a stall, recovering, sorry.” No further transmissions were received.
Wreckage and Investigation
The airplane came to rest in a wooded area about 9 miles northeast of Capital Region International Airport, Lansing, Michigan (KLAN), at an elevation of 850 ft mean sea level and oriented on a magnetic heading of 150°. The airplane impacted terrain in a relatively flat attitude. A postimpact fire consumed a large portion of the main wreckage except for a portion of the right wing, both winglets, and the empennage section. All major structures were accounted for at the accident site.
An investigator-in-charge from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), along with an NTSB aerospace engineer and a maintenance/airworthiness investigator, examined the wreckage on October 18-22, assisted by representatives from the airplane and engine manufacturers and Federal Aviation Administration safety inspectors. Various components were retained for further examination and testing; results are pending. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was recovered and sent to the NTSB’s vehicle recorder laboratory in Washington, DC, with results pending.
Stall Test Procedures
The Pilot’s Operating Manual (POM) provided conditions for the stall test: altitude above 10,000 ft above ground level, 10,000 ft above clouds and below 18,000 ft mean sea level, day visual meteorological conditions with a good visual horizon, autopilot disengaged, operative stall identification system, external surfaces free of ice, ventral tank empty, and weather radar on standby. The POM noted that there is no natural stall warning or aerodynamic buffet before the stall, and that stick pusher operation coincident with the natural stall is acceptable if any rolling tendency can be restrained within 20° bank angle. A caution warned that aileron snatch may occur and might affect recovery; in such an event, the elevator control must be moved forward to decrease angle of attack. The POM also stated that pilots conducting stall checks should have prior experience performing stalls in the Hawker and must be prepared for unacceptable stall behavior.
The NTSB has investigated at least three other accidents or incidents involving the performance of required stall tests after maintenance in business jets.