Fatal Gulfstream Accident into Aspen Colorado

In March of 2001 A Gulfstream III crashed into the terrain just short of the runway at Aspen Colorado.  The people on board were victims of a tragic and avoidable accident.

In aviation there are pressures that are put on the pilot(s) of aircraft.  Common pressures come from the passengers, a desire to do the popular thing, weather, pressure from a boss, family etc.  It is not unlikely that a combination of these pressures will occur at the same time.  It is when a pilot has a chain of poor decisions that these pressures can turn fatal.

If a frog is dropped into a pot of boiling water he will immediately jump out.  However, if a frog is put into a pot of cool water, and then the water is heated up slowly, the frog will boil to death.  Even so, a pilot, if immediately put into a situation that he/she is not comfortable with, he/she will immediately escape.  However, in the case of the Gulfstream crew, if those pressures are applied one at a time, the crew will not realize the boiling water that they are in danger of, and will not jump.

The crew had multiple warning flags as the departure time was pushed back.  A situation where the "boss" tells the dispatcher to "keep his/her mouth shut" and disregards the safety of the aircraft is key.  In all reality the "boss" probably doesn't know the risks involved, and most likely is not a pilot.  As PIC, the captain should have recognized that first chain in the accident chain.  After that first incident, the captain could have realized the lack of time, and the dangerous situation that he was getting himself into.  He had flown into Aspen 3 times before with his first officer, and he had to have been familiar with the terrain surrounding the airport.

If I were in that situation, I probably would have started the flight, with the condition that if the situation looked bad, I would immediately go missed and proceed to the alternate airport.  From the weather reports, the Gulfstream was attempting to land at the precise moment when the weather was the worst.  Lodging and staying in an alternate area for the night is a small price to pay in exchange for life.  Flights into marginal weather should be treated with extreme caution, and at the first indication of danger flight to the alternate should be seriously considered.

This is the link to the article posted by AOPA.

http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfarticles/2005/sp0504.html