- 6 weeks ago
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00:00A private charter jet is flying 15 passengers to Aspen, Colorado for a party.
00:07This flight really captured the public attention because of the people on board.
00:13Poor weather makes the landing a challenge for the experienced pilots.
00:17Can you see out there at all yet?
00:20No.
00:21Aspen is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the country.
00:25As the plane nears the runway, the controller watches as disaster unfolds.
00:31What are they doing?
00:38Investigators examine the Gulf Stream's wreckage for answers.
00:42I don't see any issues here.
00:45When they learn about the passengers' behavior...
00:48We're running out of fuel here for the birthday boy!
00:52The moving parts of this mystery fall into place.
00:56That clearly had to put some pressure on the pilots to say,
00:58all right, this is not looking good.
01:02BD, BD!
01:06Oh, fuck!
01:07The sun has just set over the Colorado Mountains.
01:27Avjet November 303 Gulf Alpha is nearing the end of its journey to Aspen.
01:34Well, there's the edge of the night there.
01:38Yeah.
01:40Captain Robert Frisbee has almost 10,000 flying hours to his credit.
01:46What time is official sunset?
01:49He and First Officer Peter Kowalczyk have been flying together for close to five months.
01:566.28.
01:59Both pilots have been with Avjet for less than a year.
02:04The small charter airline is based out of Burbank, California.
02:10Avjet catered to high rollers, business people, people who could afford a charter or jet.
02:16People who had to get there in a hurry but do it in style.
02:21Running out of fuel here for the birthday boy!
02:24A Miami financier chartered this flight for 14 of his friends to attend a birthday party at an exclusive venue in Aspen.
02:34This was a group of friends who seemed to have had tremendous early achievements and accomplishments, and they were really going to go places.
02:44So 4,800 pounds, 126.
02:50It was 50.
02:51You know what?
02:52I adjusted it because the fuel was way off.
02:54The pilots are flying a Gulfstream 3.
03:02The Gulfstream is a luxurious plane that, you know, people see in the movies and people think high rollers and movie stars flying.
03:10But it's a workhorse plane, but it actually has a good reputation.
03:15It's a 90-minute flight from Los Angeles to Aspen.
03:18Gulfstream 303 Gulf-Alpha, Aspen reduced speed to 210 or slower.
03:29The controller slows down the Gulfstream to maintain a safe distance from the other planes heading into Aspen.
03:38210 or slower, 3 Gulf-Alpha.
03:4017 minutes from landing, the pilots begin their descent.
03:50Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, also known as Sardi Field, is about 3 miles northwest of Aspen.
03:58Landing on its single runway is a challenge.
04:03Aspen is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the country.
04:07The runway is not long, and it is in close proximity to high terrain on all sides.
04:19Hey, do you remember that crazy guy in the Lear when we were in Aspen last time?
04:24It was, I can see the airport, but he couldn't see it.
04:30Set you up on the approach?
04:31Okay.
04:31The landing is made even more difficult, with the final stage needing to be carried out visually.
04:39As the plane nears Aspen, a beacon guides it to the airport, but it doesn't lead it directly to the runway.
04:48Once the airport is in sight, the pilots must line up with the runway visually.
04:52Because of the high terrain and close proximity to the final approach course, the minimum altitude is a couple thousand feet above the ground,
05:02and we must be visual by that time to safely continue our descent down to a landing.
05:08And tonight, the weather isn't making landing any easier.
05:15And if at any time it's snowing, it's very hard to acquire that visual reference to safely descend further to a landing.
05:28Residential noise restrictions around the airport leave the pilots only nine minutes until the landing curfew at 6.58.
05:35The crew is cutting it close.
05:40Can you see out there at all yet?
05:43Uh, no.
05:49Gulfstream 3, Gulf Alpha, heading 050.
05:53Heading 050, 3 Gulf Alpha.
05:58As the pilots prepare to line up with the runway, passengers get ready for landing.
06:05Okay, synchronizer's off.
06:14There is just enough fuel for one landing attempt.
06:17After that, the pilots will have to divert to another airport.
06:21Okay, it's off.
06:25Hydraulic pressure's good.
06:28Gulfstream 3, Gulf Alpha, turn heading 140.
06:31Intercept final approach course, maintain 1,6000.
06:35Eight minutes from the airport, the controller gives the crew clearance to commence the approach.
06:42140, 1,6000.
06:44Intercept final approach course, 3 Gulf Alpha.
06:501,6000.
06:51As the pilots get their final intercepts to the airport.
07:02Challenger 7, Juliet Alpha, you have the airport in sight.
07:06Another aircraft, also on approach to Aspen, updates the controller.
07:11Uh, that's a negative.
07:12Going around.
07:13Those pilots aboard their landing, because they can't see the runway.
07:22Attention all aircraft.
07:23Last aircraft went missed.
07:26What?
07:27You went missed.
07:29You went missed?
07:31Damn.
07:32That's not good.
07:33If you can't successfully land the aircraft, then a missed approach is a procedure that pilots will execute to return to a safe altitude.
07:45As the Gulf Stream gets closer to the airport, the weather deteriorates.
07:50You have to be configured properly.
08:20at the right altitude, at the right speed.
08:22Otherwise, you are expected to execute a missed approach.
08:27Red table at 1,4000.
08:29Cleared for VOR approach.
08:30Gulf Stream 303, Gulf Alpha.
08:34Here we go.
08:37As the pilots get closer to the airport, they're counting on the weather to improve for their landing.
08:45Resetting to 1,4000.
08:46Problems can escalate very quickly when flying into Aspen.
08:52There's really no room to recover without breaking off that approach or trying it again.
09:01Landing flaps.
09:02Landing flaps.
09:03Just over two minutes from landing, instruments have successfully guided the pilots to the airport.
09:10Now it's up to them to identify the runway.
09:12Can you see the runway?
09:21Gulf Stream 3, Gulf Alpha.
09:22You have the runway in sight?
09:27Affirmative.
09:28Yeah, now we do.
09:29Yeah, runway in sight, 3 Gulf Alpha.
09:32Gulf Stream 3, Gulf Alpha.
09:33Visual.
09:34Roger.
09:361,000.
09:371,000 to go.
09:38The pilots are now less than a minute from landing.
09:52At the last moment, they realize something is wrong.
09:57Go, go, go, go, go, go!
10:00Avjet 303, Gulf Alpha crashes just short of the runway at Aspen.
10:21Aircraft identification, Gulf Stream 3, 0, 3, Gulf Alpha.
10:27Aircraft location, it was north of the runway, approximately the Shale Bluffs area.
10:35Emergency vehicles rush to the scene in the hope that there are survivors of the crash of Avjet 303, Gulf Alpha.
10:42But all 18 people on board are dead.
10:54All 15 passengers, the two pilots, and the flight attendant.
10:58This flight really captured the media and the public attention because of the people on board.
11:14There were a lot of very young, talented people.
11:23Put everything from the tail section over there.
11:25By the following day, investigators are on site.
11:34Thousands of passengers fly charter airplanes every year, encompassing 2.5 million flight hours annually.
11:42So trying to understand why this accident occurred was significant.
11:51Let me see that.
11:53Within hours, the plane's cockpit voice recorder, or CVR, is retrieved from the wreckage.
12:01Let's get the data pulled from that ASAP.
12:04What about a flight data recorder?
12:11Looks like there wasn't one.
12:14Okay.
12:14Because the airplane was manufactured in 1980 and registered in 1981, it was not required to have an FDR.
12:26While the CVR is sent for analysis, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board wonder why the pilots weren't able to land safely.
12:35When an aircraft crashes short of a runway, especially a sophisticated airplane like a Gulfstream jet, a number of questions arise here.
12:47How did they get there?
12:48What possible factors could the crew have?
12:51Was there some sort of a failure in the aircraft?
12:55Take a look at this.
12:57What do you think caused that?
13:00There's a deep ground scar at the crash site.
13:06That would do it.
13:09Investigators conclude that it was formed when the left wing hit the ground.
13:13When an airplane comes through trees or vegetation as it approaches the ground, it cuts off branches.
13:22And we can look at those branches and the angles that are made to understand the airplane's attitude as it came into the ground and its descent profile.
13:34Left wing struck the trees at about 49 degrees.
13:43That's a hell of a bank.
13:49There is no operationally relevant reason for an airplane to be banked at 49 degrees that close to the airport or that close to the ground.
13:59Maybe they lost control of the plane.
14:03When we see an aircraft in an abnormal attitude, we've got to look at did something happen where the pilots couldn't keep it level?
14:11The plane's position gives investigators a promising lead.
14:16Engine failure?
14:17The loss of thrust resulting from an engine failure on one side can yaw the airplane, and if not appropriately managed by the pilots in a timely fashion, can lead to a loss of control.
14:34Aside from the impact damage, there's no sign of fire to the exterior.
14:38The team studies the engine's compressor blades to determine if the engines were functioning when the plane hit the ground.
14:48When the Gulfstream 3's engines are working, the compressor blades spin in a clockwise direction.
14:55If the engines were still functioning when the plane crashed, these blades would be bent counterclockwise or in the opposite direction.
15:02You know, these are all bent counterclockwise, so it wasn't an engine failure.
15:13Our examination of the engines showed that there was no pre-existing damage, no evidence of an in-flight fire,
15:22and also showed that they were operating normally and at high power at the time of the impact.
15:28Let's take a look at the rudder.
15:29An airplane operating at a low airspeed while the rudder moves to an extreme limit could introduce a rolling moment,
15:40or also stall one of the wings, which would further exacerbate the rolling moment.
15:48Investigators examine the actuator that controls the rudder's movement.
15:52The piston is completely intact.
15:56No sign of any damage.
15:59There was no pre-existing conditions or failures that would have explained the accident.
16:07The airplane was functioning normally.
16:10If mechanical failure didn't cause the roll, what went wrong on approach?
16:16Determining the airplane's flight path helps us understand how that airplane got to the accident site.
16:21What was it doing?
16:23What was it doing?
16:24Where was it flying?
16:25How fast was it going?
16:28Have a look at this radar data.
16:30With no flight data recorder, investigators turn to Aspen's radar information to reconstruct the Gulf Stream's descent profile.
16:41Using the radar position and time, so the altitude and position of the aircraft, the performance engineers can extract the speed of the aircraft, how fast is it descending?
16:54Is that appropriate for the approach that they're trying to do?
16:58So, here's what we've got.
17:03This is the approach they should have flown.
17:05Investigators examined the path the pilots were required to follow into Aspen.
17:11Due to the rising terrain away from the airport, Aspen at this time had a step-down approach, which, from a profile, looks like stairs.
17:24The pilots will step down to an altitude based on the terrain availability.
17:30Pilots cannot descend below that altitude until they reach another fix or another distance.
17:36And, here's the descent the pilots actually flew.
17:44The radar data shows the Avjet flight deviated from the published descent profile.
17:51Four miles out, they dropped 300 feet below the minimum.
17:55And a mile later, they dropped 900 feet below the minimum altitude.
18:00And they stayed that way.
18:02They flew in very low.
18:06If you go below a minimum altitude before you are allowed to, then you no longer can guarantee the safety of that aircraft.
18:22Why would they do that?
18:25Because the pilots did not fly this approach to standards, we wanted to look into their backgrounds and training to better understand why the accident may have occurred.
18:36Why did the pilots of Avjet 303 Gulf Alpha not follow the prescribed approach procedure into Aspen?
18:50The captain passed his last proficiency check.
18:53So did the first officer, just a couple months ago.
18:58Investigators learn that all Avjet pilots are trained to land in mountainous terrain like Aspen.
19:04And they both flew into Aspen together twice before, without incident.
19:11No accidents.
19:13No reprimands.
19:16Even the captain's driving record is spotless.
19:18So looking into the background of this flight crew, we really didn't see anything that stood out.
19:25They were both well-qualified, well-trained, and experienced to fly this airplane and make this trip.
19:30And they both got plenty of sleep before the flight, so fatigue isn't an issue.
19:36In fact, I don't see any issues here.
19:41This doesn't make any sense.
19:42Why would two well-trained pilots fly so recklessly below the limits?
19:53No matter whether you're a charter pilot or an airline pilot or even just a personal general aviation pilot,
19:59you know, our number one job is safety.
20:01Regulations are there for a reason.
20:03And what is it that could lead a good flight crew to go beyond those safety limits?
20:11Okay, so we know the pilots landed at Aspen twice before with that incident.
20:17What was different this time?
20:21Maybe they were trying to get eyes on the runway?
20:25Pull up the weather.
20:25It was important to understand exactly what was going on with the weather
20:40in terms of the layers of clouds, whether they were solid or broken,
20:45to understand what capability these pilots may have had to see objects on the ground.
20:52The crash was at 7.02 p.m.
20:55Back it up to about 6.30 p.m.
21:00They would have been flying in and out of some pretty heavy cloud here.
21:03So, maybe they didn't have a clear line on the runway.
21:07Okay, but these are seasoned pilots.
21:10They should know if you don't see the runway...
21:12You don't try to land on it.
21:12And yet they did try to land on it.
21:14And they missed by almost half a mile, so...
21:17Did they see the runway or not?
21:19We should talk to the controller.
21:26An air traffic controller can tell you what the visibility is,
21:31what the weather conditions were,
21:33what other airplanes were doing in terms of coming into the airport
21:37and provide eyewitness testimony about the time of the accident.
21:41But they also can help us understand communications that they had with the airplane.
21:49So, did they give you any indication at all that they were having trouble seeing the runway?
21:54No.
21:55Quite the opposite.
21:56I asked them if they could see the runway, and they confirmed that they did.
22:00Gulfstream 3 Gulf Alpha, you have the runway in sight?
22:03Yeah, runway in sight, 3 Gulf Alpha.
22:06Gulfstream 3 Gulf Alpha, visual, roger.
22:11I made extra sure to confirm, because I couldn't see them.
22:18The weather was so bad.
22:21Did you have any reason to doubt the pilots?
22:22Not at the time.
22:26But here's what's so odd.
22:29They confirmed they had visual, but then when they came out of the clouds,
22:33they were headed to the right of the airport.
22:45What are they doing?
22:46What are they doing?
22:46I don't think they realized they weren't headed for the runway until the last second.
23:01When we put those pieces together, you know, that the pilots did report on the radio,
23:05they had the runway in sight, we had to ask ourselves, did they really?
23:09Did they really see the runway?
23:11Might they have engaged in a little wishful thinking?
23:14This leaves investigators with a troubling question.
23:22They couldn't see the runway.
23:24Why did they go ahead with the landing?
23:27Maybe they were under some kind of pressure.
23:31We needed to know the purpose of this flight, its schedule,
23:35and the pilots' activities before they departed for Aspen.
23:39Looking into what happened before the flight took off from L.A.,
23:44can help us gain insight into what might have been going on during the flight.
23:49So sorry to keep you waiting.
23:56No problem at all.
23:58To understand why the pilots were so intent upon landing in Aspen,
24:03NTSB investigators speak to the Avjet coordinator who managed Flight 303 Gulf Alpha.
24:10The charter coordinators communicated with the pilots moments before the flight departed Los Angeles.
24:17They would have insights into what was concerning the pilots,
24:22what they were trying to accomplish,
24:25and some of the decisions being made.
24:27Did you talk to the captain on the day of the flight?
24:32Oh, yes.
24:33And there were some problems right from the start.
24:35Really?
24:35How so?
24:36Well, the flight was supposed to leave at 4.30.
24:39At 4.15, he called to say the passengers still hadn't shown up.
24:42Well, if the passengers don't show up soon with the long taxi out to the runway,
24:50we won't make it to Aspen in time.
24:52So what are you suggesting?
24:54Well, we may need to divert.
24:58The captain was worried that because of the 7 p.m. noise curfew at Aspen,
25:02he might have to go to Rifle instead, which is about 60 miles away.
25:07So he knew about the noise curfew, and he had a plan to divert if he needed?
25:10Absolutely.
25:13They knew that Rifle Colorado Airport was nearby.
25:17They had planned for alternatives even before they left,
25:19which is exactly what a crew should be doing.
25:23When did the passengers board?
25:26They didn't start boarding until around 4.30.
25:29Then what happened?
25:31About 10 minutes later, I got a phone call from the client's personal assistant,
25:35and he told me the client was very upset.
25:40Hmm.
25:41What's this about diverting to Rifle?
25:43What do you mean?
25:46Once the passengers boarded, there was a call by the charter customer's assistant
25:51expressing concern that the crew had told the passengers
25:59that they might have to go to another airport.
26:03Welcome.
26:03Welcome.
26:04Given the delay in boarding, looks like we may have to divert to Rifle.
26:07So the client had his assistant call me.
26:17So my boss wants you to tell the pilot to, well,
26:20keep his mouth shut around the passengers.
26:23And if he has anything to say, save it until he gets there,
26:27and then they can talk it over.
26:29Understood.
26:30There's nothing to worry about.
26:31I'll take care of it.
26:33Thank you very much for letting me know.
26:38So, of course, safety comes first.
26:40But we wanted to keep the client happy.
26:44Did this make it back to the captain?
26:45Yes, I called him right away.
26:49The client's very upset.
26:50He doesn't want you speaking to any of the passengers anymore.
26:53Only to him.
26:54Understood.
26:55Okay.
26:56Don't mention diverting.
26:57He was worried that he was going to disappoint our boss,
27:07maybe even get into trouble for upsetting the client,
27:11but he wouldn't get into trouble.
27:14In a charter operation,
27:15the needs of your passengers are front and center.
27:18You're fully aware of them,
27:19and in a situation where a group of people are going to add dinner,
27:25and that's the only reason they're taking this trip.
27:28If they can't satisfy that timeline,
27:30then there was no point of being on that aircraft.
27:34The captain was told not to upset the passengers.
27:38Did that instruction affect his decision
27:40about diverting his plane to rifle?
27:43And so this was all before they took off?
27:45Yes.
27:46And was that the last time you spoke to the captain?
27:48No.
27:49He called me again en route to Aspen.
27:51And what time was that?
27:546.30.
27:58We'll be landing in Aspen in about 20, 25 minutes,
28:01but we'll have to spend the night there.
28:03No problem.
28:04I can book your rooms.
28:05Hey, how are the passengers?
28:07Are they still upset?
28:10I don't think so.
28:11What about the client?
28:13I had a talk with the client.
28:15It's just really important to him that we make it to Aspen.
28:17and apparently he's dropping a substantial amount of money on dinner.
28:23The client didn't want to go to Rifle.
28:25Rifle was more than 60 miles away.
28:27It would have taken them too long to get there.
28:29I see.
28:29Okay, well, thank you very much for your time.
28:36Happy to help.
28:39Although the pilots would be aware of the needs of their passengers,
28:44at no point can that supersede the professionalism of that crew.
28:49Your primary and only real job is the safety of that aircraft.
28:55You know, it seems they were under a lot of pressure to land,
28:59not only before the flight began, but even during the flight.
29:04Crash happened more than half an hour after that last call from the plane.
29:08Did commercial pressure influence the pilots to make a risky decision
29:14that cost the lives of 18 people?
29:17You know, this comes up all the time.
29:19Charter pilots often voice on chat rooms and complaint lines
29:25that they are pressured to keep people happy
29:28and do really difficult things just to satisfy a demanding customer.
29:32And it's dangerous.
29:33They still had time to correct the situation,
29:39so what happened in these final 30 minutes?
29:47It's here.
29:50NTSB investigators turned to the cockpit voice recorder
29:53of Avjet 303 Golf Alpha
29:56to understand why the pilots chose to land instead of diverting.
30:00We could learn about the crew's decision-making
30:04and what they were doing from their conversations with each other,
30:08you know, how they were planning
30:09and using the information that was coming in
30:12as they approached Aspen.
30:14You know what?
30:15Let's pick it up before they begin their final descent.
30:17Hey, do you remember that crazy guy in the Lear
30:30when you were in Aspen last time?
30:33It was, I could see the airport.
30:35But he couldn't see it.
30:38Pause that.
30:39So, 14 minutes before the crash,
30:46they're ridiculing another pilot
30:47who tried to land without the runway in sight.
30:50Why did they do the same thing?
30:53At that point,
30:55they were still in the mode of,
30:57we're going to do this right,
30:58and even sort of made a joke about this one guy
31:01that didn't do it right.
31:02Okay.
31:11Okay, we'll shoot it from here.
31:13I mean, we're here,
31:13but we only get to do it once.
31:15Right.
31:16Once.
31:17And then we get a rifle, right?
31:19Yeah.
31:19It's too late in the evening to come around.
31:26So, right there,
31:28they're talking about doing a missed approach.
31:29That was at 6.50,
31:32so two minutes later.
31:3512 minutes from the airport,
31:37the pilots confirmed their plan
31:39to divert if they needed to.
31:42As the crew was approaching Aspen,
31:44they were getting the idea
31:46that the weather was getting more difficult to get in,
31:48and they were having a conversation about this.
31:50They mentioned again,
31:51well, we might only have one shot at this,
31:54and we have to go to rifle.
31:55They were really saying the right things.
31:59Attention, all aircraft.
32:02Last aircraft went missed.
32:06What?
32:06You went missed.
32:08You went missed?
32:10Damn.
32:12That's not good.
32:16Nine minutes from crashing.
32:19They know the plane in front of them couldn't land,
32:22and they know it's a bad sign for them.
32:24That clearly had to put some pressure on them,
32:28say, all right, this is, uh,
32:30this is not looking good.
32:32It should have those pilots
32:34starting to get into the mindset
32:36of executing the missed approach
32:37rather than landing the aircraft.
32:40So they know they shouldn't attempt the landing either.
32:43Up until now,
32:44they've been doing everything right by the book.
32:46Yeah.
32:47I wonder what changed.
32:48Investigators discover something unusual
32:53in the CVR transcripts.
32:56Huh.
32:59Looks like the flight attendant
33:01brought someone into the cockpit.
33:05About eight minutes before the accident,
33:07somebody came into the cockpit,
33:09one of the passengers.
33:12Thank you very much.
33:13You think it's the client?
33:25It's possible.
33:28Having somebody else up on the flight deck
33:31as you're conducting an approach
33:32into a mountainous area at night
33:36in poor weather
33:38is not a good idea.
33:43Did the presence of a passenger
33:45in the cockpit
33:46play a role in the crash?
33:56Weather's going down.
33:59They're not making it in.
34:01As the crew got closer to Aspen,
34:03the weather worsened,
34:05making it more dangerous
34:06for planes to try to land.
34:09Oh, really?
34:11Oh, really?
34:13The only conversation
34:16that should be going on
34:17is between the crew
34:18about aspects of the flight.
34:20Here, having someone up there
34:21questioning their decision-making,
34:23questioning, you know,
34:24the weather and the operation
34:25is just such a distraction
34:27and a pressure to them.
34:30As the pilots approached the airport,
34:32the situation intensified.
34:36Challenge your 9-8 Romeo,
34:38your number one.
34:399-8 Romeo,
34:41negative visual on the mist.
34:44They learned that the plane
34:45ahead of Avjet 303 Golf Alpha
34:47also missed their approach
34:49because they couldn't see the runway.
34:52It's too dangerous
34:53to land on that runway
34:54under these conditions.
34:57So what happened?
34:57Are we cleared to land?
35:06Not yet.
35:06We just missed.
35:08The guy in front of us
35:09didn't make it either.
35:11Oh, really?
35:16Okay, so it sounds like
35:17this guy is sending
35:18the pilots a message.
35:20Exactly.
35:20O'Reilly may not sound like much,
35:25but after all those other things
35:27that had occurred,
35:28I think O'Reilly was a warning shot.
35:31Get this thing in Aspen.
35:33But the pilots still had one more chance
35:37to implement their backup plan
35:39to divert to another airport.
35:44Where's it at?
35:45So obviously,
35:49they still can't see the runway.
35:53To the right.
35:55To the right.
35:55So instead of executing
36:03a missed approach,
36:04they're still looking for the runway,
36:05which is actually to their left.
36:08There was a river valley
36:10and some roads nearby.
36:11Might they have seen something
36:12they thought was the runway?
36:13You know, some lights
36:14of the village or whatnot.
36:15They believed they saw the runway,
36:17but that wasn't correct.
36:19They just keep flying lower and lower
36:21looking for the airport.
36:22They were just under way too much pressure
36:27to make good decisions.
36:31They had the night curfew.
36:33They had the time pressure,
36:34pressure from the client as well.
36:37And then with the weather coming in and out,
36:39as they stepped down,
36:41they'd catch glimpses now and then
36:43of the ground.
36:45500.
36:47Rev plus 5.
36:49Think rate.
36:50Think rate.
36:5222 seconds after crossing
36:55the missed approach point,
36:56Avjet 303 Golf Alpha
36:59hits the ground.
37:00So, in Los Angeles,
37:28they were ready to divert.
37:32Then they get chewed out for talking about diverting,
37:35and the client tells them how important the dinner is.
37:38Topping it all off, the passenger enters the cockpit.
37:41So by the time they get to Aspen...
37:43They were bound and determined to land.
37:49Sadly, they turned it to the pilots they were ridiculing.
37:53All indications from our investigation
37:58show that these two pilots were good pilots.
38:01Once the crew descended without the runway in sight,
38:07the accident was inevitable.
38:09They just kept pushing, and step by step,
38:14it got worse and worse until they descended too low.
38:18Despite the pressures the pilots were under to land,
38:22there was one more safeguard
38:24that could have prevented this tragedy.
38:26You're not going to believe this.
38:39Investigators of Avjet 303 Gulf Alpha
38:42examine a safety notice for Aspen Airport
38:45that might have prevented the crash.
38:48A NOTAM.
38:49NOTAM is an official notice to airmen.
38:55That's a notice put out by the FAA
38:57to tell pilots about some abnormality
38:59in the airspace system.
39:01An approach procedure has been changed,
39:03a navigation aid is out, all sorts of things.
39:08Two days before the crash,
39:10a NOTAM was issued with a warning
39:12about landing at Aspen.
39:14As far as I can tell,
39:16it says circling NA, not authorized at night.
39:20So in other words,
39:22they should never have been flying
39:23into Aspen at night in the first place.
39:26It said that circling not authorized at night.
39:31This approach is only a circling approach.
39:33Even if you elect to land straight in,
39:35it actually had the effect of making that approach
39:39not authorized at night.
39:41The crash was at 7.02 PM.
39:44What time was nightfall?
39:46Nightfall was officially at 6.55.
39:51Well, that's seven minutes before the crash.
39:53Why didn't they follow the NOTAM?
39:58Investigators examined the Gulf Stream's
40:00briefing records to see if it included
40:03the most recent notice.
40:06It looks like the first officer did receive the NOTAM
40:09over the phone before the flight.
40:12So who knows if he passed it on to the captain?
40:16NOTAMs are hard to read.
40:18There's a lot of extraneous information in them.
40:20They tell you about everything from
40:22a burned out light bulb on a tower 15 miles away
40:26to the runways closed and everything in between.
40:29And what about the controller?
40:35NOTAMs are also distributed to ATC facilities.
40:38They need to know about things that affect the airspace
40:41as well.
40:45It never got passed on to Aspen ATC.
40:54The reason the tower didn't get the NOTAM is
40:56it was supposed to get sent by, believe it or not, facts.
40:59And for whatever reason, didn't get sent to the ATC facilities
41:03that needed to know.
41:06Had the controller received the NOTAM,
41:08it might have prevented the crash.
41:12In the final analysis, investigators conclude
41:14the probable cause of the accident
41:16was the flight crew's operation of the airplane
41:19below the minimum descent altitude
41:21without an appropriate visual reference to the runway.
41:24This accident happened because the captain did not go around,
41:30did not conduct a missed approach.
41:33Had he done that, they would have gone to rifle.
41:37And the passengers may have been frustrated, may have been angry.
41:40There might have been a big conversation,
41:42but they would have been alive.
41:48Investigators also believe external pressures
41:51played a role in the pilot's decision-making.
41:54We call it get-there-itis.
41:57We're close to the destination, almost there,
42:00and the pressure on people to make the decision.
42:03Nothing broke, nothing really failed,
42:05other than just the decision-making
42:07under pressures of get-there-itis.
42:13As a result of this accident,
42:15Avjet restricts flying into Aspen between sunset and sunrise.
42:19The FAA also revises its specifications for flying into Aspen,
42:24with a minimum visibility of five miles
42:27and a cloud ceiling of at least 4,400 feet above ground
42:31now required for landing.
42:36You see the runway?
42:38This is to ensure pilots always have a clear view
42:41of the runway before landing.
42:44Thank you very much.
42:45Avjet also takes steps to prevent unnecessary distractions
42:49in the cockpit during the flight.
42:52After the accident, the company issued a bullet
42:55in changing their rules that no passengers
42:58were allowed in the cockpit.
43:02Okay, guys, let's finish up tomorrow.
43:06Well, the NTSB has also made a number of recommendations
43:09on improving the NOTAM system,
43:11making things a little bit more graphical and easy to use
43:14so that people can sort them out
43:16rather than just reading a list.
43:20The lessons serve as a warning to all other pilots
43:23who interact with passengers.
43:25I think the message of this flight is there is no dinner,
43:30date engagement, or birthday party that is more important
43:35than the lives of your passengers on the plane.
43:38And the pilot has to be tough enough to stand up to that
43:42because the passengers just don't know.
43:45They're not pilots, and they do not know that their behavior
43:48is endangering their very lives.
43:50But it did help change the law
43:53and change how the FAA operates in many aspects,
43:57and for that, we're thankful.
44:20The NTSB has theest fueled by the NTSB and the FAA聖
44:29and the NTSB, the NTSB has been significant.
44:32So the night Hilfe has been completed in the future.
44:34It is all for the klappen and the flight.
44:35The NTSB has their plans to be done in many ways.
44:37The NTSB has been created by the NTSB,
44:39and the NTSB has been created by the NTSB.
44:40All the pilot has been published in the US.
44:41The NTSB has been created by the NTSB,
44:42and the NTSB has been created by the NTSB itself.
44:44When the NTSB has got to be expressed at the NTSB,
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