What happened
On the landing phase of its flight, a Learjet crashed while attempting to land on runway 09 at Detroit-Metropolitan-Wayne County Airport. The aircraft was performing a multi-stop mission, transporting executives from Massey-Ferguson, Inc. back to destinations including South Bend, Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, and Toronto, Canada, following a business meeting in Des Moines, Iowa.
During the descent into Detroit, the flight encountered icing conditions ranging from light to moderate, with occasional periods of severe icing. As the aircraft approached the runway, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 was cleared for departure. Observers noted that the Learjet crossed the runway threshold in a standard landing configuration; however, the aircraft immediately entered a violent roll. The plane reached a steep right bank and the wing tip tank made contact with the runway surface approximately 2,440 feet from the threshold, leading to a post-impact fire. The accident resulted in six fatalities, including both pilots and four passengers.
Findings
The investigation focused on several potential contributing factors regarding the aircraft's loss of control. Investigators considered that the incident may have been triggered by the buildup of ice on the wings due to the encountered icing conditions. Other possibilities included a delay in applying engine power caused by the wake turbulence from the departing DC-9, or an aerodynamic stall occurring during an attempted go-around maneuver. The loss of control is identified as the primary event.