Incident
On November 25, 2000, at 15:24 local time, a Learjet 25, registration LY-AJB, operated by UAB Transaviabaltika, veered off runway 08 during landing at Kaunas (Karmėlava) Airport. The aircraft was on a training flight from Riga, crewed by a pilot trainee and a pilot instructor.
Flight Conditions
The approach was conducted with flaps at 40° and speed of 125 knots, without deviations. Surface wind was reported at 140/12 gust 19 knots, creating a 60° crosswind component. The landing was performed normally near the touchdown zone markers.
Sequence of Events
After touchdown, the aircraft rolled along the runway centerline for approximately 600 meters. The pilot then turned the control wheel fully into the wind, after which the aircraft began to veer to the right. The pilots attempted to maintain direction but were unsuccessful due to the crosswind and low landing mass. The aircraft continued for another 650 meters, exited the runway to the right by 6 meters, traveled 100 meters on the grass, and then returned to the runway surface before stopping.
Post-Incident Actions
The pilot instructor inspected the aircraft, found no damage, and taxied the aircraft to the parking area.
Investigation Conclusions
The aircraft was not equipped with flight recorders, so the exact cause of the runway excursion could not be determined. Possible contributing factors included incomplete disengagement of the yaw damper, the instructor pilot's delayed intervention, and insufficient familiarity with aircraft-specific characteristics in the training program.