NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After the preliminary report was recently issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for a fatal airplane crash in the Colorado mountains, a nationally recognized aviation safety attorney says the plane’s approach for landing and the operation of its instruments and avionics systems may be areas of further investigation.
On February 13, an Epic E1000 six-seat turboprop registered to ALS Aviation LLC of Franklin, Tennessee, departed Nashville, stopped in Kansas City, and later crashed around 12:20 a.m. into Emerald Mountain near Steamboat Springs. All four people aboard were killed.
The NTSB recently issued a preliminary report of its investigation of the crash, but its investigation is continuing.
The NTSB’s preliminary report indicates that the aircraft had been cleared for a RNAV approach for landing at the Steamboat Springs Airport/Bob Adams Field (SBS) and was operating in autopilot at the time of the crash. According to the preliminary report, there are two different RNAV approaches for landing at the Steamboat Springs Airport that start from the same vector points in the air—RNAV-E, which can be used for night landings, and RNAV-Z, which cannot be used for night landings. It is unclear from the preliminary report whether the approval for approach given to the pilot specified which RNAV approach was to be used. Keith Williams, founder of The Keith Williams Law Group, believes the approach path approved for landing could indicate issues about both communication with air traffic control, and issues with the instruments or avionics equipment on board the aircraft, among other factors that may have contributed to causing the crash.
Mr. Williams stated that:
“Approaches such as these at high elevations, particularly in mountainous terrain, and at night can present unique challenges that are not present in approaches on flat terrain at lower elevations, such as the steep descent required, course changes during the approach, higher true speed of the aircraft due to the altitude, and obstructions such as nearby mountains. Precise communication regarding approach patterns is therefore very important, as is the proper functioning of instruments and avionics systems on an aircraft.”
The NTSB investigation is ongoing, and Mr. Williams emphasized that while the preliminary report provides insights into what happened, “further investigation will likely provide more specific details about what happened so we can focus on preventing the next tragedy.” The NTSB’s final report could, however, take several more months to complete.
In addition to his practice, Williams is the Past Chair of the American Association for Justice’s Aviation Litigation Section, and he is a member of the Aviation and Space Law Committee of the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section. Mr. Williams is also a member and past president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association.
Williams is available for interviews to discuss the legal, regulatory, and safety implications of Congress’ decision and what it means for the flying public.
