2001 Avjet Gulfstream III crash

Common card · No. 423853

On March 29, 2001, a chartered Gulfstream III business jet operated by Avjet from Los Angeles, California, to Aspen, Colorado, crashed into the ground while on final approach. All three crew members and 15 passengers on board died. The subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the cause of the accident was the captain's premature descent below the minimum descent altitude, carried out without having the runway in sight. The accident's investigation also brought into focus several generic safety issues, such as: pressure applied on charter pilots by customers, including this flight's charter customer having contacted the Avjet office to state that the flight must not be diverted, and telling Avjet management that the pilot must stop talking about diversion being required due to the night landing rules at Aspen; night flight into airports near mountainous terrain; and, the ambiguity of some Federal Aviation Administration rules.

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