Accident Overview
On March 29, 2001, at approximately 1901:57 mountain standard time, a Gulfstream III, registration N303GA, crashed while on final approach to runway 15 at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE) in Aspen, Colorado. The aircraft was owned by Airbourne Charter, Inc., and operated by Avjet Corporation of Burbank, California. The charter flight had departed Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at approximately 1711 with 2 pilots, 1 flight attendant, and 15 passengers.
The airplane impacted sloping terrain about 2,400 feet short of the runway threshold. All 18 occupants were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed. The flight was conducted under instrument flight rules (IFR) on a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air taxi operation.
Approach and Conditions
The accident occurred during the final approach segment. The aircraft was executing the VOR/DME-C approach to runway 15. At the time of the accident, it was dark, and weather conditions were present that reduced visibility of the mountainous terrain.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the accident was 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 (NOTAM) 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.
- 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.