The Learjet 60 was forced to turn around and landed safely after circling in the air for about two hours to burn fuel.
The Port of Seattle sent fire trucks to assess the situation.
Three were on board, and no one was hurt.
The plane was towed to the west side of the airport, where small aircraft are normally parked.
The issues initially reported have yet to be determined.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.
Any information why they didn't divert to KBFI (Boeing Field, just 5 miles away) rather than using busy SEATAC KSEA?
ReplyDeleteProbably depends on what the problem was and where a contracted supporting maintenance organization is located.
DeleteIf the "shortly after takeoff" story is true, you wouldn't expect to see the aircraft test-flying RW25 approaches to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station during the first hour after takeoff. The aircraft's earlier flight that day was test-flying the RW14 approach at Whidbey.
Incident flight, with Whidbey RW25 approaches in first hour:
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N59/history/20211029/1945Z/KBFI/KSEA
Morning flight with Whidbey RW14 approaches:
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N59/history/20211029/1545Z/KGEG/KBFI
The plane is registered to the Federal Aviation Administration. They have a lot of low number registrations.
ReplyDeleteIf the pilots felt confident enough in the aircraft's controllability with a reported hydraulic problem to stay in the air for two hours to burn off fuel, it must not have been that critical.
ReplyDeleteIt was a small hydraulic braided line that failed in a radius bend in the LH wheel well.
ReplyDelete