Accident Overview
On December 31, 1981, Sun West Airlines Flight 104, a scheduled passenger commuter flight, departed Albuquerque, New Mexico at 1855 mountain standard time. The aircraft carried five passengers and one pilot, en route to Durango, Colorado. The en route portion of the flight, conducted under instrument flight rules, was normal.
Flight History
Flight 104 was cleared by Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center at 1951:37 for a VOR approach to Durango-La Plata County Airport. Radar service was terminated at 1953:30, when the flight was approximately 3 miles northeast of the Aztec Intersection on the VOR approach. Around 2000 local time, ground witnesses observed the aircraft fly over the airport in a northerly direction, passing over the VOR transmitter (the missed approach point) adjacent to the runway midpoint. The airplane then descended and crashed about 1,350 feet east of the departure end of runway 2, and about 3,250 feet from the VOR.
Impact and Casualties
The airplane was destroyed by impact and a subsequent postimpact fire. The pilot and three passengers were killed, while two passengers sustained serious injuries.
Weather Conditions
The weather reported at the time of the accident included an indefinite ceiling of 400 feet, sky obscured, visibility of 1 mile in light snow and fog, with calm winds.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was newly manufactured and had been delivered to the company on December 23, 1981, just eight days before the accident.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board was unable to determine the probable cause of this accident, which occurred during an attempted missed approach. A low ceiling and poor visibility were factors which contributed to the accident.