Accident Details
On November 22, 2004, at approximately 0615 central standard time, a Gulfstream G-1159A business jet struck a light pole and crashed about 3 miles southwest of William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas. The aircraft was conducting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 4 at the time of the accident. The impact destroyed the airplane.
Occupants and Injuries
The two pilots and one flight attendant on board were killed. An individual in a vehicle near the airport sustained minor injuries.
Flight Operations
The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the accident site.
Aircraft and Operator
The aircraft was a Gulfstream G-1159A, registered as N85VT, and operated by Business Jet Services Ltd.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the accident to be: "The flight crew's failure to adequately monitor and cross check the flight instruments during the approach. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew's failure to select the instrument landing system frequency in a timely manner and to adhere to approved company approach procedures, including the stabilized approach criteria."