ASN Aircraft accident Gulfstream American G-1159 Gulfstream II N303GA Aspen Airport, CO (ASE)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Thursday 29 March 2001
Time:19:01
Type:Silhouette image of generic GLF3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Gulfstream American G-1159 Gulfstream II
Operator:Avjet Corp
Registration: N303GA
MSN: 303
First flight: 1980
Total airframe hrs:7266
Cycles:3507
Engines: 2 Rolls-Royce Spey 511-8
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
Total:Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:0,7 km (0.4 mls) N of Aspen Airport, CO (ASE) (   United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX), United States of America
Destination airport:Aspen Airport, CO (ASE/KASE), United States of America
Narrative:
Crashed on finals to runway 15 when it hit a hill and then plunged across a 200 foot culvert between the hill and the airport before slamming into Shale Bluff, broke up and caught fire.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "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 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; and 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. "

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 2 months
Accident number: NTSB AAB-02-03
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» NTSB-AAB-02-03


Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 2 Safety Recommendations

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Photos

photo of Gulfstream-American-G-1159-Gulfstream-II-N303GA
profile view of the airplaneís approach
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Los Angeles International Airport, CA to Aspen Airport, CO as the crow flies is 1177 km (735 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Gulfstream

  • 1616+ built
  • 18th loss
  • 13th fatal accident
  • The worst accident
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