History of Flight
On December 23, 2015, at approximately 1415 mountain standard time, a Hawker Beechcraft 400XP, registration XA-MEX, collided with a snowplow during landing at Telluride Regional Airport (KTEX) in Telluride, Colorado. The aircraft was operated by Aerolineas Ejecutivas of Toluca, Mexico, under 14 CFR Part 129 as an air taxi flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Monterrey, Mexico, with a planned stop in El Paso, Texas, before continuing to Telluride.
Before departing Monterrey, the crew obtained preflight information, including Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for the planned route. NOTAMs for KTEX mentioned several runway closure times, but none were valid for the arrival period.
The flight left El Paso at 1220 MST. En route, the crew discussed weather concerns at Telluride, noting that conditions might fall below minimums. Montrose Regional Airport (KMTJ) was considered as an alternate. As the flight neared Telluride, the crew communicated with a Denver en-route controller and monitored the airport's automated weather station.
At 1348, the controller informed the pilots that another aircraft had just attempted an approach but executed a missed approach. The pilots reported receiving weather information and planned to proceed. The controller assigned a heading for descent and sequencing.
At 1350, the airport operator issued a NOTAM closing the runway for snow removal and then drove onto the runway.
At 1358, the controller cleared the accident aircraft for the approach. The pilot canceled the flight plan at 1402, reporting the airport in sight. The crew did not switch to the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF).
During landing, the crew did not see the snowplow on the runway in time to avoid a collision.
Personnel Information
The left-seat pilot held a Mexican Airline Transport License with multi-engine land rating and a class one medical certificate issued July 9, 2015, with no restrictions. He had 8,238 total flight hours, with 1,412 in the accident make and model.
The right-seat pilot also held a Mexican Airline Transport License with multi-engine land rating and a class one medical certificate issued December 16, 2015, with no restrictions. He had 7,113 total flight hours, with 1,919 in the accident make and model.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a Hawker Beechcraft 400XP (BE40), a low-wing, twin-engine business jet powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT15D turbofan engines. It was maintained under a continuous airworthiness program, with the last inspection on July 25, 2015. The aircraft had accumulated 5,744.25 flight hours at the time of the accident.
Meteorological Information
At 1415, the Telluride AWOS reported wind from 010° at 3 knots, visibility 1¾ miles with light snow, broken clouds at 1,100 feet, overcast at 2,200 feet, temperature 23°F, dew point 18°F, and barometric pressure 29.50 inHg.
Airport Information
Telluride Regional Airport is a non-towered airport. The airport operator entered a NOTAM closing the runway for snow removal at 1350.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane's right wing struck the rear of the snow removal equipment about halfway down the runway. The impact separated the right wing from the fuselage near the wing root. The airplane came to rest off the snow-covered runway. The snow removal equipment sustained minor damage.
Additional Information
According to the Denver center controller, the facility operating procedure requires controllers to issue appropriate NOTAMs to pilots. The airport operator now enters NOTAMs directly into the system; the center receives them automatically via the En Route Information Display System (ERIDS), but no alert is provided for new NOTAMs, and they may not be visible if the controller is on a different page.
One minute before XA-MEX was cleared for the approach, the radar associate controller moved to the radar position. No record of a position relief briefing exists, and it is unknown if a relief checklist was used.
The FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) recommends that inbound pilots monitor and communicate on the designated CTAF from 10 miles to landing. It also advises that ground vehicles equipped with radios monitor CTAF when operating on movement areas.
The airport manager reported that the snowplow had radios, and both the plow operator and a customer service representative monitored the advisory frequency. They also reviewed a flight tracker program and reservations, though reservations are not required and not all traffic appears. XA-MEX was not on the flight tracker and had no reservation.
Communications
After departing El Paso, the crew communicated with ARTCC controllers. They requested and received the latest weather for KTEX. The controller's workload was described as heavy, handling multiple arrivals and departures to other airports.
Earlier, a Beechcraft KingAir (call sign FH122) attempted an approach to KTEX. The controller asked FH122 to report weather and NOTAMs; the pilot proceeded but later executed a missed approach. In a follow-up, the FH122 pilot stated he talked on CTAF to a person at the airport and decided to go missed before reaching the runway.
After the accident, the cockpit voice recorder was downloaded and reviewed by a group including NTSB, FAA, Mexican DGAC, and operator representatives. Relevant excerpts are documented in the CVR Specialist Factual Report.