2001 Avjet Gulfstream III crash

Last updated

2001 Avjet Gulfstream III crash
Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159A Gulfstream III (N80J 441) (7814251020).jpg
A Gulfstream III business jet similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date29 March 2001 (2001-03-29)
Summary Controlled flight into terrain due to pilot error
Site Pitkin County, near Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Aspen, Colorado, USA
39°14′8.75″N106°52′35.57″W / 39.2357639°N 106.8765472°W / 39.2357639; -106.8765472
Aircraft
Aircraft type Gulfstream III
OperatorAvjet Corporation
Registration N303GA
Flight origin Los Angeles International Airport, California
Destination Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Colorado
Occupants18
Passengers15
Crew3
Fatalities18
Survivors0

On March 29, 2001, a chartered Gulfstream III business jet operated by Avjet from Los Angeles, California, to Aspen, Colorado, crashed into the ground while on final approach. All three crew members and 15 passengers on board perished. [1]

Contents

The subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the cause of the accident was the captain's premature descent below the minimum descent altitude, carried out without having the runway in sight. [2]

The accident's investigation also brought into focus several generic safety issues, such as pressure applied on charter pilots by customers, night flight into airports near mountainous terrain, and the ambiguity of some Federal Aviation Administration rules. [3]

Flight history

Captain Robert Frisbie (44) and First Officer Peter Kowalczyk (38) reported for work at Avjet's Burbank, California, facility around noon on the day of the accident. After checking the weather and the aircraft, they embarked on an 11-minute repositioning flight to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to pick up their passengers. The flight was originally scheduled to leave LAX at 16:30 MST, but departed after a 41-minute delay for late passengers at 17:11 MST. [2] [4]

Earlier in the day, an FAA specialist had informed the crew that it would be illegal to land at night in Aspen under instrument flight rules. In addition, the crew were aware that due to noise abatement restrictions, their jet aircraft was required to land at Aspen by the 18:58 MST night curfew. Following the delayed departure from LAX, their estimated arrival time was 18:46 MST, twelve minutes before the curfew took effect. [2]

As the flight approached Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, it became evident that some of the other inbound flights were performing missed approaches, as they had been unable to complete an instrument approach to the airport's runway. The airport is surrounded by high terrain on all sides and a fairly steep descent is required in order to land. [2]

At 18:56:06 MST, the flight was cleared for the VOR/DME-C instrument approach to the airport, whereupon it proceeded to the Red Table VOR, executed a sequence of designated step-down maneuvers and began final approach to the runway. As it continued its descent past the missed approach point  – where the runway must be in sight to continue – the pilots had still not visually located the runway in the increasing darkness and snow showers. At 19:01:57 MST, while in a steep left bank, the aircraft crashed into the terrain, killing all 18 persons on board. [2]

Investigation and final report

Profile view of N303GA's approach to Aspen (NTSB report). AvjetAspenProfile.jpg
Profile view of N303GA's approach to Aspen (NTSB report).

Following the crash, the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder was recovered from the wreckage and the data recorded found to be intact and usable. Under Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 Air Taxi rules, no flight data recorder was required for this type of flight and one had not been installed. [2]

Part of the subsequent NTSB investigation [2] focused on the fact that the instrument approach at the destination airport was not legal for night landing, and the overall pressure applied on the charter company and flight crew by the charter customer to complete the flight into the original destination. [3] According to witnesses, the charter customer, upon learning that the flight might have to be diverted to an alternate airport due to the night landing restriction, had his business assistant call Avjet management, to "let them know that the airplane was not going to be redirected". [2]

In addition, witnesses claimed that when the charter customer learned that the captain had discussed the possible diversion with some of the passengers waiting for the late arrivals, he had his assistant call Avjet to instruct the captain to "keep his comments to himself". [2]

The Avjet charter department scheduler subsequently testified that "the captain felt that it was important to land at [Aspen] because of the substantial amount of money that the [charter] customer spent for a dinner party". [2]

A daytime fair weather view of the approach to runway 15 at Aspen airport, depicting accident site of N303GA (NTSB report). AvjetAspen.jpg
A daytime fair weather view of the approach to runway 15 at Aspen airport, depicting accident site of N303GA (NTSB report).

Based on information obtained from the cockpit voice recorder, the flight attendant had escorted an unidentified male passenger to the flight deck's jump seat during the approach sequence. According to the NTSB's analysis, "the presence of this passenger in the cockpit, especially if it were the charter customer, most likely further heightened the pressure on the flight crew to land at [Aspen]".

The NTSB issued its final report on June 11, 2002, with the following probable cause: [2]

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the flight crew's operation of the airplane below the minimum descent altitude without an appropriate visual reference for the runway.

The NTSB added the following contributing factors: [2]

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.

Aftermath

After the accident, Avjet decided to prohibit airport operations at Aspen and three other mountainous airports between sunset and sunrise. It also issued the following memorandum to its flight crews and schedulers: [2]

"if you cannot accomplish a landing and be on the ground at one of these airports before sunset you must divert to a suitable alternate. All passengers for one of these destinations must be informed of this policy. Flight crew members must report any violation of this policy or pressure from passengers to violate this policy to the Director of Operations or Chief Pilot."

Avjet also added the following policy to its operations manual after the accident:

"Only an Avjet assigned crewmember, check airman, or FAA observer may occupy the observer's seat (jump seat) in any Avjet aircraft. Charter passengers shall never be allowed to occupy the observer's seat at any time."

Litigation

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the families of three of the victims in Los Angeles. After a jury found the captain and Avjet Corporation negligent, an out-of-court settlement was reached, where Avjet agreed to pay the plaintiffs a total of US$11.7M in damages. [5] There were reportedly also other settlements for other victims. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Air Lines Flight 1141</span> 1988 aviation accident at DFW airport

Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah. On August 31, 1988, the flight, using a Boeing 727-200 series aircraft, crashed during takeoff, resulting in 14 deaths and 76 injuries of the 108 on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 965</span> 1995 passenger plane crash in Colombia

American Airlines Flight 965 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia. On December 20, 1995, the Boeing 757-200 flying this route crashed into a mountain in Buga, Colombia, around 9:40 pm killing 151 of the 155 passengers and all eight crew members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Airlines Flight 232</span> 1989 aviation accident

United Airlines Flight 232 was a regularly scheduled United Airlines flight from Stapleton International Airport in Denver to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, continuing to Philadelphia International Airport. On July 19, 1989, the DC-10 serving the flight crash-landed at Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa, after suffering a catastrophic failure of its tail-mounted engine due to an unnoticed manufacturing defect in the engine's fan disk, which resulted in the loss of many flight controls. Of the 296 passengers and crew on board, 112 died during the accident, while 184 people survived. 13 of the passengers were uninjured. It was the deadliest single-aircraft accident in the history of United Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles runway disaster</span> 1991 runway collision between two airplanes

On the evening of February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737-300, collided with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft, upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As Flight 1493 was on final approach, the local controller was distracted, though air traffic was not heavy at LAX, by a series of abnormalities, including a misplaced flight progress strip and an aircraft that had inadvertently switched off the tower frequency. The SkyWest flight was told to taxi into takeoff position, while the USAir flight was landing on the same runway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspen/Pitkin County Airport</span> Airport serving Aspen, Colorado, USA

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, also known as Sardy Field, is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of the central business district of Aspen, in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. Aspen/Pitkin Co. Airport/Sardy Field covers an area of 573 acres (232 ha) at an elevation of 7,820 feet above mean sea level. It has one asphalt paved runway designated 15/33 which measures 8,006 by 100 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surinam Airways Flight 764</span> 1989 aviation accident

Surinam Airways Flight 764 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport in Suriname on a Surinam Airways DC-8-62. On Wednesday 7 June 1989, the flight crashed during approach to Paramaribo-Zanderij, killing 176 of the 187 on board. It is the deadliest aviation disaster in Suriname's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Aire Express</span>

Grand Aire Express was an American airline based in Swanton, Ohio, US. It operated passenger and cargo charter services worldwide, as well as charter management services. Its main base began in Monroe, Michigan and then moved to Toledo Express Airport, Toledo, Ohio. with additional bases in Louisville, KY and El Paso, TX. Grand Aire Express closed down/disestablished in June 2003; however, the parent company Grand Aire Inc., is still in operation, providing On-Demand Air Charter and FBO services from their world-headquarters at the Toledo Express Airport in Swanton, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Air Lines Flight 227</span> 1965 aviation accident

United Airlines Flight 227 (N7030U), a scheduled passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport New York City to San Francisco International Airport, California, crashed short of the runway while attempting a scheduled landing at Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah, on Thursday, November 11, 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 1572</span> 1995 aviation accident

American Airlines Flight 1572 was a flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Bradley International Airport on November 12, 1995. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 struck trees and an instrument landing system (ILS) antenna during landing, causing $9 million in damage to the aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Air Lines Flight 212</span> 1974 aviation accident

Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 was a controlled flight into terrain accident of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 during approach to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. The incident occurred on September 11, 1974, killing 72 of the 82 people on board. The scheduled flight was from Charleston Municipal Airport to Chicago O'Hare, with an intermediate stop in Charlotte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comair Flight 5191</span> 2006 passenger plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Comair Flight 5191 was a scheduled United States domestic passenger flight from Lexington, Kentucky, to Atlanta, Georgia. On the morning of August 27, 2006, at around 06:07 EDT, the Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 100ER crashed while attempting to take off from Blue Grass Airport in Fayette County, Kentucky, 4 miles west of the central business district of the city of Lexington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 New Hampshire Learjet crash</span> 1996 business jet disappearance near Dorchester, New Hampshire, United States

On Christmas Eve 1996, a Learjet 35A business jet disappeared near Dorchester, New Hampshire, United States. The crash led to the longest missing aircraft search in the state's history, lasting almost three years. Media attention eventually resulted in congressional legislation mandating improved emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) be installed in U.S.-registered business jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308</span> 1981 aviation accident

Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308 was a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 aircraft operating a Yugoslavian charter flight to the French island of Corsica. On 1 December 1981, the flight crashed on Corsica's Mont San-Pietro, killing all 180 people on board. The crash was the deadliest and first major aviation accident involving a McDonnell Douglas MD-80.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L'Express Airlines Flight 508</span> 1991 aviation accident

On July 10, 1991, a L'Express Airlines Beechcraft C99, flying as Flight 508 originating in New Orleans, and in transit from Mobile to Birmingham, crashed while attempting to make an ILS approach to Runway 5 at Birmingham Municipal Airport in Birmingham, Alabama. The plane crashed in the Fairview area near Five Points West in the Ensley neighborhood and subsequently injured four persons on the ground, as well as destroying two homes. Of the 15 occupants on board, there were 13 fatalities. The cause of the crash was attributed to the captain's decision to attempt an instrument approach into severe thunderstorms resulting in a loss of control of the airplane. To date it is the deadliest commercial aviation accident in Alabama history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Tiger Line Flight 66</span> 1989 cargo plane crash in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Flying Tiger Line Flight 66 was a scheduled international cargo flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport via a stopover at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia. On February 19, 1989, the FedEx-owned Boeing 747-249F-SCD crashed while on its final approach. The aircraft impacted a hillside 437 ft (133 m) above sea level and 12 km from Kuala Lumpur, resulting in all four crew members being killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Airlink Flight 5719</span> 1993 aviation accident

Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 was a flight from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to International Falls Airport in International Falls, Minnesota with a scheduled intermediate stop at Chisholm-Hibbing Airport in Hibbing, Minnesota. On December 1, 1993, the Jetstream 31, operated by Express Airlines I as Northwest Airlink, collided with a group of trees in a forest during final approach to Hibbing, and crashed into two ridges northwest of the airport, killing all sixteen passengers and the two pilots on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Air Flight 6560</span> Airline accident in Resolute, Nunavut, Canada

First Air Flight 6560 was a domestic charter flight that crashed on landing at Resolute, Nunavut, Canada, on 20 August 2011. Of the 15 people on board, 12 were killed and the remaining three were severely injured. The Boeing 737-200 of First Air was operating a service from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, when it struck a hill in cloud near Resolute Bay Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Airlines Flight 603</span> 1978 air crash at Los Angeles International Airport

Continental Airlines Flight 603 was a scheduled McDonnell Douglas DC-10 flight between Los Angeles International Airport and Honolulu International Airport. On March 1, 1978, it crashed during an aborted takeoff, resulting in the deaths of four passengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286</span> 1988 aviation accident

Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Denver, Colorado, to Durango, Colorado, operated for Continental Express by Trans-Colorado Airlines. On January 19, 1988, Flight 2286 crashed onto terrain near Bayfield, Colorado, while on approach to Durango-La Plata County Airport. Out of the seventeen people on board, nine were killed, including both crew members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Pacific Airlines Flight 802</span> March 1974 plane crash near Bishop, California

Sierra Pacific Airlines Flight 802 was a charter flight from Bishop, California to Burbank, California that crashed into the White Mountains on the evening of March 13, 1974. The aircraft, carrying a movie production crew, crashed for undetermined reasons, killing all 36 occupants on board. To this day, the crash remains one of only three aviation accidents to be unsolved by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and it stands as the fourth-deadliest crash of a Convair CV-440 to date.

References

  1. ↑ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Avjet Corporation Gulfstream III, N303GA, Aspen, Colorado, March 29, 2001" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB/AAB-02/03. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 Mark, Robert P. (2008-04-25). "Aspen crash prompts approach controversy". Aviation International News. Archived from the original on 2023-04-23. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  4. ↑ "Dining with Death: The 2001 Avjet Aspen crash". 2020-09-19. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  5. ↑ "Aspen crash victims awarded $11.7M". Denver Business Journal. July 8, 2003. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  6. ↑ "Charter company to pay USD11.7m to relatives of 2001 crash victims". Airline Industry Information. July 8, 2003. Archived from the original on 2007-03-10 – via FindArticles.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.