Aspen crash video released

[rpm]

Infrared video of the Canadair Challenger that crashed at Aspen earlier this month has been released. You can see it come in fast, bounce hard off the runway going high nose up then abruptly nose over hard into the runway. Weather a definite factor. You can see a gust hit the field right as the plane touches down.

[GScholz]

Definitely some sort of freak accident.

[rabbidrabbit]

Definitely some sort of freak accident.

How do you know the pilot was a freak?

[cpxxx]

Judging from the blowing snow it was a downwind landing. That can't have helped.

[LCADolby]

Tail gust

[Ripsnort]

Judging from the blowing snow it was a downwind landing. That can't have helped.

This.

[homersipes]

with wind like that why would the be landing in that direction?  would have thought they would have approached from other way

[cpxxx]

As far as I know Aspen only has non precision approaches and you have to land on one runway direction and depart on the opposite and it requires special training. Downwind landings would be routine. Not to mention tricky weather. Maybe they should have gone around earlier. No doubt the final report will reflect that.

I must google the approach plates for Aspen.

[homersipes]

that makes sense here is the rnav/gps approach plate
http://aircharts.org/data/view.php?id=0e4a8b18-869d-5ae1-b363-4375609d1058
wow thats too bad, should have tried go around way sooner I think

On 05 January 2014, a Bombardier Challenger 600 (registration N115WF) crashed upon landing and experienced a post-impact fire, killing one occupant and seriously injuring the other two persons on board. While an investigation has yet to be conducted, it is speculated that the weather conditions played a significant role in the crash. The weather report given to the aircraft's pilot in command shortly before the accident indicated that there was a 33 knot tail wind and low visibility while other landing aircraft reported low-level windshear and a gain in airspeed of up to 20 knots

[BluBerry]

that looked doomed from the start.

[colmbo]

As far as I know Aspen only has non precision approaches and you have to land on one runway direction and depart on the opposite and it requires special training. Downwind landings would be routine. Not to mention tricky weather. Maybe they should have gone around earlier. No doubt the final report will reflect that.

I must google the approach plates for Aspen.

A guy I know on a different BBS has flown into Aspen, you can do a circling approach but it puts you very close to a mountain off the end of the runway.

IMO silly to land with that much tailwind.  It makes for a very flat approach, ground speed is noticeably greater which can mess with your head, touchdown speed will be higher so it will take longer to get stopped.

Looked kind of like they forced it onto the runway hitting nose wheel first, bounced and then a violent pitch-down that put them into the ground.  Sad deal.

[Oldman731]

Looked kind of like they forced it onto the runway hitting nose wheel first, bounced and then a violent pitch-down that put them into the ground. 

's what I was thinking, porpoise.

I guess you must get to the point in your flying life when you think going around is out of the question, or at least it's not an always-in-your-mind option (especially at airports as infamous as Aspen).   I've seen films of several airliners ending this way, all piloted by people with lots of experience.  Glad I'm not there yet.

- oldman

[colmbo]

I guess you must get to the point in your flying life when you think going around is out of the question

EGO is very, very dangerous in a cockpit.

[Rich46yo]

Looked like he came in awfully fast.

[rpm]

Looked like he came in awfully fast.

With 30kts+ tailwind and windshear.