Introduction
On 18 August 2002, a Learjet 35A, registration EC-GXX, operated by Sky Service Aviation S.L. of Madrid, was discovered parked in a hangar at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, Italy, with visible structural damage. The aircraft had arrived ten days earlier from Biarritz, France, with only the crew on board. Airport records showed no report of any incident or request for landing priority. The crew had left Sardinia and could not be contacted; the following account is based on a statement from the pilot-in-command, submitted to the Italian ANSV on 27 February 2003.
Flight History
According to the commander, from 14 August the crew performed a series of charter flights. On 17 August, they flew from Málaga to Ávila, Spain. The approach initially targeted runway 29 but was changed to runway 11 for a visual approach. The aircraft made a heavy landing. An immediate external inspection revealed no damage. The next morning, they flew from Ávila to Biarritz. Takeoff and flight were normal. During landing at Biarritz, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) warning light illuminated. The crew checked the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) to determine if any operational limitations applied.
Damage Discovery
The last flight was from Biarritz to Olbia. During descent into Olbia, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence for approximately three minutes. The crew noted no abnormal aircraft behavior. After landing and taxiing to the parking stand, a post-flight inspection revealed structural damage near the engines. The crew then requested a more detailed inspection by technicians. The damage consisted of fuselage corrugation near the wing attachment points, as documented in photographs (visible in Annex A of the report). No injuries were reported.
Meteorological Conditions
A weather bulletin for Olbia Airport at 11:50 UTC on 18 August 2002 indicated wind from 050° at 11 knots, visibility 10 kilometers, and towering cumulus (TCU) at 2,000 feet. A tropical whirlwind storm was noted at 11:45 UTC. The commander's statement described strong turbulence during descent, consistent with these conditions.
Probable Cause
The Italian ANSV determined that the probable cause of the incident was a heavy landing at Ávila, followed by the encounter with severe turbulence during the ferry flight to Italy.