Narrative:Crashed on finals to runway 15 when it hit a hill and then plunged across a 200 foot culvert between the hill and the airport before slamming into Shale Bluff, broke up and caught fire.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The flight crew's operation of the airplane below the minimum descent altitude without an appropriate visual reference for the runway.
Contributing to the cause of the accident were the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) unclear wording of the March 27, 2001, Notice to Airmen regarding the nighttime restriction for the VOR/DME-C approach to the airport and the FAA's failure to communicate this restriction to the Aspen tower; the inability of the flight crew to adequately see the mountainous terrain because of the darkness and the weather conditions; and the pressure on the captain to land from the charter customer and because of the airplane's delayed departure and the airport's nighttime landing restriction. "
Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 1 year and 2 months | Accident number: | NTSB AAB-02-03 | Download report: | Final report
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Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» NTSB-AAB-02-03
Follow-up / safety actions
NTSB issued 2 Safety Recommendations
Issued: 15-APR-2002 | To: FAA | A-02-8 |
Revise any restrictions and prohibitions that currently reference or address "night" or "nighttime" flight operations in mountainous terrain so that those restrictions and prohibitions account for the entire period of insufficient ambient light conditions, and ensure that it is clear to flight crews when such restrictions and prohibitions apply. (Open - Acceptable Response) |
Issued: 13-JUN-2002 | To: FAA | A-02-12 |
Revise 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 to require on-demand charter operators that conduct operations with aircraft requiring two or more pilots to establish a Federal Aviation Administration-approved crew resource management training program for their flight crews in accordance with 14 CFR Part 121, subparts N and O. (Superseded by A-03-52) (Closed - Superseded) |
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Photos
profile view of the airplaneís approach
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Los Angeles International Airport, CA to Aspen Airport, CO as the crow flies is 1177 km (735 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.