LACK OF ATC RADAR. SMT X CRASHED WHILE CONDUCTING AN ILS APCH IN IMC CONDITIONS.
Synopsis
LACK OF ATC RADAR. SMT X CRASHED WHILE CONDUCTING AN ILS APCH IN IMC CONDITIONS.
Narrative
ON OCT/92 SMT X; AT APPROX XA30 AM; CRASHED INTO CLIFFS ABOUT 9 MI N OF GJT KILLING EVERYONE ON BOARD. THIS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THIS ARPT WAS SERVED BY A RADAR FACILITY; RATHER THAN THE ANTIQUATED NON-RADAR APCH CTL SVC WE PROVIDE THE FLYING PUBLIC. THE INSTALLATION OF RADAR HAS BEEN POSTPONED EVERY YR FOR THE PAST 20 YRS AND IT IS CONTINUOUSLY BEING POSTPONED. NUMEROUS AIRLINES USE THIS ARPT AS AN ALTERNATE; ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER DURING INCLEMENT WX; AND IN ADDITION TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED ACR; AIR TAXI; MIL AND MANY OTHER GA ACFT. THE FAA HAS PLENTY OF MONEY TO BUILD RAMPS ON THIS ARPT COSTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS; BUT NO MONEY FOR RADAR. CASPER ARPT HAS RADAR; BUT THAT'S BECAUSE VIP USED TO FLY INTO CASPER. PUEBLO HAS RADAR; ASPEN HAS RADAR; HELENA HAS RADAR AND HOW MANY OTHER ARPTS WHICH HAVE LESS COMMERCIAL TFC AS WELL AS TOTAL TFC. THIS ARPT IS THE LARGEST ARPT WITHIN 250 MI OF ITS LOCATION; AND IT IS USED BY MANY AIRLINES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED SMT X WAS CLRED FOR AND CONDUCTING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 11 IN IMC CONDITIONS. NTSB INVESTIGATION FOUND ATC PROCS TO BE CORRECT. FAA HAS SCHEDULED GJT FOR RADAR IN MARCH OF 1995.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.