An investigation by Liberia's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has established that the May 29, 2025 near-crash of a private jet carrying President Joseph N. Boakai was likely triggered by a failure of two tyres on the aircraft's left main landing gear, a malfunction that occurred moments after touchdown and forced the aircraft into a dangerous skid at Roberts International Airport.
The preliminary findings, released this week, show that the incident was not a routine runway mishap but a serious aviation safety event involving mechanical failure, incomplete maintenance documentation, and gaps in airport safety systems--factors that investigators say could have turned deadly under slightly different circumstances.
Seconds From Disaster
The Gulfstream IV jet, registered N770KS and operated by VMO Aero Nigeria, was returning from Lagos with the president and his delegation when it touched down at about 3:21 p.m. local time. Moments after landing, two tyres on the aircraft's left main landing gear failed simultaneously during the rollout phase.
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The failure caused the jet to lose stability, skid violently along the runway, and leave deep rubber marks and gouges in the asphalt. Investigators documented more than 1,300 feet of skid marks and areas where the wheel assembly deteriorated under friction before the pilots managed to bring the aircraft to a controlled stop roughly 2,200 feet before the runway threshold.
On board were 18 people--three crew members and 15 passengers, including the president. All were safely evacuated using the aircraft's airstairs. No injuries were reported.
Aviation experts say the outcome could easily have been different.
"Tyre failure at landing speed is among the most dangerous mechanical events an aircraft can experience," one aviation safety analyst familiar with Gulfstream operations told this newspaper. "Once a jet starts skidding, the margin for recovery is extremely thin."
An Aging Jet and Conflicting Records
The investigation placed particular focus on the aircraft's maintenance history. The Gulfstream IV was manufactured in 1989, making it 36 years old. While older aircraft can operate safely if properly maintained, the AAIB found inconsistencies in maintenance records related to the failed tyres.
Two separate logbooks, one associated with the aircraft's U.S.-based owner, Best Aircraft Deals LLC, and another from a contracted maintenance provider, contained conflicting entries about whether a key tyre on the left main landing gear had recently been replaced.
Investigators say the discrepancies raise serious questions about whether the tyres had exceeded recommended service limits or were subjected to inadequate inspection before the flight. The bureau has not yet determined whether maintenance lapses directly caused the failure, but it confirmed that the inconsistencies are central to the ongoing probe.
Silence in the Cockpit
One of the most troubling findings in the preliminary report is the absence of usable recorded data.
The aircraft's cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) were recovered and sent to a laboratory in Abuja, Nigeria. Both failed to produce usable information. Investigators reported internal corrosion in the CVR, and attempts to extract data from the recording tape were unsuccessful. No flight data was recovered from the FDR.
Compounding the problem, the air traffic control tower at Roberts International Airport did not have a functional voice recording system at the time of the incident. As a result, there is no recorded communication between the pilots and controllers during the landing sequence.
In international aviation investigations, such gaps are considered serious deficiencies, limiting the ability to fully reconstruct events and identify contributing factors.
Airport Safety Under Scrutiny
Beyond the aircraft itself, the incident has cast renewed scrutiny on Liberia's aviation infrastructure.
The AAIB confirmed that Roberts International Airport does not currently hold a valid aerodrome certificate from the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority, a requirement under international civil aviation standards. Several key navigational aids--including the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and VOR/DME--were unserviceable at the time of the landing.
Although weather conditions were favorable and the flight landed under visual conditions, investigators warned that the lack of certified infrastructure and functioning recording systems significantly increases operational risk, particularly during emergencies or poor visibility.
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"This was a survivable incident," the report noted, "but survivability must not be mistaken for safety."
National Implications
While the AAIB stopped short of assigning blame, it issued a series of urgent safety recommendations with national implications. Among them is a call for mandatory technical inspections of all foreign-registered aircraft used for presidential or official government travel before they are put into service.
The bureau also recommended the creation of a dedicated aviation oversight unit within government to manage and monitor state flights, as well as immediate repair or replacement of cockpit recorders on the aircraft before it returns to operation.
Airport authorities and regulators were urged to restore air traffic recording systems, address uncertified airport status, and strengthen compliance with international aviation safety standards.
