F-16s Respond as Learjet Descends Uncontrolled From 47,000 Feet

On October 25, 1999, Learjet N47BA departed Orlando Sanford Airport on a routine flight to Dallas Love Field. After takeoff, the aircraft climbed steadily, reaching a cruising altitude of Flight Level 470 (47,000 feet). But shortly after passing 39,000 feet, all communication with the crew mysteriously ceased.

Accident Facts

Despite urgent and repeated radio calls from air traffic controllers and attempts to contact the aircraft’s transponder, the plane remained silent. Concerned by the unresponsive jet climbing beyond its assigned altitude and veering off course, the FAA scrambled multiple F-16 fighter jets from different Air National Guard units to intercept and visually inspect the Learjet. The intercepting pilots reported seeing iced-over cockpit windows with no sign of life or movement inside the aircraft.

The plane maintained level flight for nearly four hours, with the fighters shadowing its unusual path across several states. Then, suddenly, the Learjet entered a rapid, uncontrollable spiral descent. The chase jets witnessed the aircraft plummet through thousands of feet, flipping and rolling as it fell toward the ground.

The last radar contact was at approximately 10,000 feet before the Learjet ran out of fuel and crashed into an open field near Aberdeen, South Dakota, roughly four hours and 1,500 miles after air traffic control first lost contact with the crew. This video presents the real-time air traffic control communications and fighter jet radio transmissions that tell the memorable story of N47BA—a flight that flew itself with no one at the controls