Lombardo covers business aviation maintenance-related issues. He is also a writer and on-air reporter for AINtv. He has over 3000 articles published and is the author of several books on aircraft systems for pilots and on the topic of flight simulation.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from the University of Illinois, has taught aviation for over 35 years in industry and as a university professor and academic dean at three different universities. He is also a frequent seminar and after-dinner motivational speaker.&nbsp;
Lombardo holds an A&amp;P Certificate, ATP, CFI and Ground Instructor ratings. He was a corporate pilot and was a research pilot and flight instructor at the University of Illinois. An FAA Safety Counselor for over 25 years, he was one of the original 13 Counselors appointed to the FAA’s Airworthiness Safety Program for maintenance technicians.&nbsp;

Contributor

David A. Lombardo

GATES LEARJET 36A, ASTORIA, ORE., DEC. 3, 2002–At approximately 6:12 a.m. Learjet N546PA, operating as Northern Lights Flight #1, struck several elk on takeoff from Astoria Regional Airport (AST). The impact damage caused the aircraft to run off the end of the runway, where it was destroyed by the resulting fire. 
The airplane was registered to CFF Air of Wilmington, Del., and was being operated as a support flight in conjunction with a Canadian Armed Forces training exercise. The two pilots and two support personnel aboard the aircraft were not injured. The accident occurred approximately 90 minutes before sunrise under VMC. The flight was departing for Eugene, Ore. 
The pilot-in-command reported to the NTSB that during acceleration for takeoff, at approximately V1 the airplane collided with multiple elk that had run onto the runway. The PIC reported that after colliding with the elk, he applied full brakes and deployed the airplane’s drag chute, but the airplane still overran the departure end of Runway 08. The airplane came to rest in a marshy bog approximately 50 feet beyond the departure threshold.

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GATES LEARJET 36A, ASTORIA, ORE., DEC.

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