Challenger 601 crash in Montrose
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Challenger 601 crash in Montrose
This was previously posted as a Gulfstream crash;
Challenger 601, N873G crashed on takeoff at Montrose Airport, Co this morning.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...30/detail.html
I've heard from a friend that the aircraft was operated by Air Castle who are based out of NY & LA.
Also heard that the aircraft used the shorter RWY 31 for takeoff as opposed to the longer 10,000 ft one.
Challenger 601, N873G crashed on takeoff at Montrose Airport, Co this morning.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...30/detail.html
I've heard from a friend that the aircraft was operated by Air Castle who are based out of NY & LA.
Also heard that the aircraft used the shorter RWY 31 for takeoff as opposed to the longer 10,000 ft one.
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I was checking the plates for MTJ and it looks like RWY 31 has lower T/O mins than the other runways, which might explain why the shorter rwy was chosen for departure.
Looks like the METAR's for the moring were consistently reporting visibilities of 1 - 2 miles in light snow and clouds starting at 700ft variable from scattered to overcast depending on the exact time, winds were fairly consistent at 330 - 350 at around 7 knots with a temp of M2. This would seem to favor the 10,000 ft long rwy 35.
Also USA Today reported that there was notice published for 1/4 inch rain and slush on the runway at the time. (not been able to find this notam)
Looks like the METAR's for the moring were consistently reporting visibilities of 1 - 2 miles in light snow and clouds starting at 700ft variable from scattered to overcast depending on the exact time, winds were fairly consistent at 330 - 350 at around 7 knots with a temp of M2. This would seem to favor the 10,000 ft long rwy 35.
Also USA Today reported that there was notice published for 1/4 inch rain and slush on the runway at the time. (not been able to find this notam)
Last edited by Astra driver; 29th Nov 2004 at 15:50.
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Sports Exec Ebersol Injured in Jet Crash
straight from Yahoo - so not my fault if it's inaccurate!
DENVER - A charter plane carrying NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol crashed and burst into flames during takeoff from a southwest Colorado airport Sunday, killing at least two people and seriously injuring Ebersol and one of his sons. Rescue crews were searching for another son.
Dick Ebersol, 57, and son Charles Ebersol survived the crash at the Montrose Regional Airport outside this southwest Colorado town, according to Denver NBC affiliate KUSA-TV.
Eyewitness Chuck Distel told The Associated Press by phone that Charles, a college senior, helped his father out through the front of the plane, whose cockpit had been ripped off by the force of the crash.
The station said crews searched for Edward "Teddy" Ebersol, 14, by helicopter and on the ground. NBC said the plane seat was missing from the wreckage.
Distel, who was driving on a highway that runs parallel to the runway, saw the plane as it skidded sideways off the runway, went though a fence and brush before hitting a roadway that ripped the cockpit from the fuselage and left it an unrecognizable wreck separate from the aircraft.
An "older gentleman" with gray straight hair and a "younger gentleman with shorter, dark hair," were walking around outside the wreckage as Distel and an airport official arrived at the scene.
"I had to think for a second, `who are these people?'" he said. "They weren't severely injured, they were in shock."
He said the older man, whom he later identified as Ebersol from pictures showed to him by other reporters, didn't say a word as the younger man cried and yelled "Oh my God, Oh my God!"
An airport official yelled into the plane looking for survivors, but heard none. The plane, which had left a burning trail of jet fuel, burst into flames that forced Distel and other rescuers away from the wreckage.
The younger man was able to climb into an ambulance while Ebersol was loaded onto a stretcher, Distel said.
Montrose County Sheriff's officials said two people were dead. KUSA said the victims were the pilot and co-pilot. No identities were released, but the station said Ebersol's wife, actress Susan St. James, was not on the plane.
Linda McCool, a nursing supervisor at Montrose Memorial Hospital, said three men were brought to the hospital after the crash, but had all been transferred to other hospitals by Sunday afternoon. Dan Prinster, vice president of St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, said two people were moved there from Montrose Memorial and another patient was being flown to a burn unit in Denver. Neither McCool nor Prinster would release any other information on the survivors.
The crash occurred in an area covered with small brush and cedar trees, sheriff's Communications Supervisor David Learned said. A large drainage ditch also is at the site.
A storm hit much of the state over the weekend and dumped more than 3 feet of snow in the area. Distel said it had been snowing heavily throughout the day but was it lightly snowing with fog and reduced visibility during the time of the crash. It was not known if weather was a factor.
Montrose is less than an hour from the Telluride Ski Area, popular with celebrities. The flight was scheduled for a trip to South Bend, Ind., where Charles Ebersol, the oldest son of Dick Ebersol and St. James, attends the University of Notre Dame.
The plane's tail number was N873G, identifying it as a CL-601 Challenger, which can carry up to 19 passengers, registered to Jet Alliance of Millville, N.J. In a statement, the company expressed its condolences but had no additional information.
Investigators from the FAA (news - web sites) and National Safety Transportation Board were en route to the airport, 185 miles southwest of Denver.
Dick Ebersol, who lives in Litchfield, Conn., has a long history at NBC. He became director of late-night programming at NBC in 1974 and replaced Lorne Michaels for a rocky tenure as executive producer of "Saturday Night Live" in the early 1980s. He became president of NBC Sports in 1989 and recently signed a contract that keeps him at the network through 2012.
Ebersol worked as an ABC researcher at the Grenoble Olympics in 1968, beginning his love affair with the multisport event. He was a protege of Roone Arledge and carried on his philosophy of presenting the Olympics via storytelling, rather than emphasizing results.
"He is very innovative," Fox Sports chairman David Hill said Sunday. "He's obviously a great leader and, from my perspective, a very worthy competitor."
DENVER - A charter plane carrying NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol crashed and burst into flames during takeoff from a southwest Colorado airport Sunday, killing at least two people and seriously injuring Ebersol and one of his sons. Rescue crews were searching for another son.
Dick Ebersol, 57, and son Charles Ebersol survived the crash at the Montrose Regional Airport outside this southwest Colorado town, according to Denver NBC affiliate KUSA-TV.
Eyewitness Chuck Distel told The Associated Press by phone that Charles, a college senior, helped his father out through the front of the plane, whose cockpit had been ripped off by the force of the crash.
The station said crews searched for Edward "Teddy" Ebersol, 14, by helicopter and on the ground. NBC said the plane seat was missing from the wreckage.
Distel, who was driving on a highway that runs parallel to the runway, saw the plane as it skidded sideways off the runway, went though a fence and brush before hitting a roadway that ripped the cockpit from the fuselage and left it an unrecognizable wreck separate from the aircraft.
An "older gentleman" with gray straight hair and a "younger gentleman with shorter, dark hair," were walking around outside the wreckage as Distel and an airport official arrived at the scene.
"I had to think for a second, `who are these people?'" he said. "They weren't severely injured, they were in shock."
He said the older man, whom he later identified as Ebersol from pictures showed to him by other reporters, didn't say a word as the younger man cried and yelled "Oh my God, Oh my God!"
An airport official yelled into the plane looking for survivors, but heard none. The plane, which had left a burning trail of jet fuel, burst into flames that forced Distel and other rescuers away from the wreckage.
The younger man was able to climb into an ambulance while Ebersol was loaded onto a stretcher, Distel said.
Montrose County Sheriff's officials said two people were dead. KUSA said the victims were the pilot and co-pilot. No identities were released, but the station said Ebersol's wife, actress Susan St. James, was not on the plane.
Linda McCool, a nursing supervisor at Montrose Memorial Hospital, said three men were brought to the hospital after the crash, but had all been transferred to other hospitals by Sunday afternoon. Dan Prinster, vice president of St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, said two people were moved there from Montrose Memorial and another patient was being flown to a burn unit in Denver. Neither McCool nor Prinster would release any other information on the survivors.
The crash occurred in an area covered with small brush and cedar trees, sheriff's Communications Supervisor David Learned said. A large drainage ditch also is at the site.
A storm hit much of the state over the weekend and dumped more than 3 feet of snow in the area. Distel said it had been snowing heavily throughout the day but was it lightly snowing with fog and reduced visibility during the time of the crash. It was not known if weather was a factor.
Montrose is less than an hour from the Telluride Ski Area, popular with celebrities. The flight was scheduled for a trip to South Bend, Ind., where Charles Ebersol, the oldest son of Dick Ebersol and St. James, attends the University of Notre Dame.
The plane's tail number was N873G, identifying it as a CL-601 Challenger, which can carry up to 19 passengers, registered to Jet Alliance of Millville, N.J. In a statement, the company expressed its condolences but had no additional information.
Investigators from the FAA (news - web sites) and National Safety Transportation Board were en route to the airport, 185 miles southwest of Denver.
Dick Ebersol, who lives in Litchfield, Conn., has a long history at NBC. He became director of late-night programming at NBC in 1974 and replaced Lorne Michaels for a rocky tenure as executive producer of "Saturday Night Live" in the early 1980s. He became president of NBC Sports in 1989 and recently signed a contract that keeps him at the network through 2012.
Ebersol worked as an ABC researcher at the Grenoble Olympics in 1968, beginning his love affair with the multisport event. He was a protege of Roone Arledge and carried on his philosophy of presenting the Olympics via storytelling, rather than emphasizing results.
"He is very innovative," Fox Sports chairman David Hill said Sunday. "He's obviously a great leader and, from my perspective, a very worthy competitor."
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According to this NY Times article....(top item right now, not sure if you need a login to read it)
Leaving aside any obvious general media caveats, I don't think it's been stated yet whether the plane got airborne or not, but "iced up pretty heavy" doesn't sound too good.....
No cause for the accident has been given, but a spokesman at the scene for the National Transportation Safety Board, Keith Holloway, said investigators had recovered the cockpit voice recorder and would send it to Washington on Tuesday to be played at the board's laboratory. The recorder could indicate whether the crew discussed any signs of trouble before the accident. Mr. Holloway said the plane did not have a flight data recorder.
One area of investigation, a federal safety official said, would be whether the failure to de-ice the plane, a twin-engine Challenger 601-1A, led to its inability to become airborne. Mr. Holloway said "the pilot declined de-icing." But he said investigators did not yet know whether ice was the cause of the accident.
Even small amounts of ice on the wings can disrupt the flow of air and ruin an aircraft's lift. But there are other reasons why planes can fail to become airborne and run off the runway. The Montrose Regional Airport has no tower that could have independently assessed the weather conditions for the jet. Mr. Holloway said the plane had been cleared for takeoff by controllers in Denver at 9:55 a.m.
On Sunday, misty rain and sleet were falling after a snowstorm.
The plane skidded across the shorter of the airport's two runways and crashed into a fence just before 10 a.m. There was slush and ice on the runway, said Michael O'Connor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.
Doug Percival, a tow-truck driver who arrived at the accident site shortly after he saw the jet explode, told KUSA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Denver, that the right wing "was iced up pretty heavy."
One area of investigation, a federal safety official said, would be whether the failure to de-ice the plane, a twin-engine Challenger 601-1A, led to its inability to become airborne. Mr. Holloway said "the pilot declined de-icing." But he said investigators did not yet know whether ice was the cause of the accident.
Even small amounts of ice on the wings can disrupt the flow of air and ruin an aircraft's lift. But there are other reasons why planes can fail to become airborne and run off the runway. The Montrose Regional Airport has no tower that could have independently assessed the weather conditions for the jet. Mr. Holloway said the plane had been cleared for takeoff by controllers in Denver at 9:55 a.m.
On Sunday, misty rain and sleet were falling after a snowstorm.
The plane skidded across the shorter of the airport's two runways and crashed into a fence just before 10 a.m. There was slush and ice on the runway, said Michael O'Connor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.
Doug Percival, a tow-truck driver who arrived at the accident site shortly after he saw the jet explode, told KUSA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Denver, that the right wing "was iced up pretty heavy."
It doesn't sound as if it got off the runway. (Note, I have left out a lot of the following story.)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...e_us/jet_crash
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...e_us/jet_crash
By JOHN MARSHALL, Associated Press Writer
MONTROSE, Colo. ...
...Next up is another difficult task: figuring out why the charter plane skidded off the runway, killing three people and injuring three others, including Ebersol and his college-age son.
"I had two major concerns when I got here," said Arnold Scott, lead investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board. "The first was to recover the sixth occupant and the second was to recover the cockpit voice recorder. We accomplished those things and now we'll get into the intricate details of the investigation."
The plane carrying Ebersol and two of his sons crashed Sunday during a snowstorm while taking off from the airport outside this small town 185 miles southwest of Denver...
...The plane stopped in Colorado to drop off Ebersol's wife, actress Susan Saint James, then was taking off to head for South Bend, Ind., to drop Charles off at school. Instead, the plane skidded through a field, punched through two fences and burst into flames after crossing a small road...
...Gary Ellis was teaching Sunday school at a Baptist Church near the airport when he heard a loud "poof."
"It came to a rest, and a moment or two later it exploded into a huge fireball," said Ellis. "It was burning as it came down the runway."
With light snow falling Monday morning, crews began picking through the blackened pile of twisted metal and a 6-foot-high shard of warped fuselage. Two engines lay on the ground near the tail section and cows from a nearby pen looked on as a backhoe was brought in to dig under the wreckage...
...A heavy snowstorm had eased up before the plane prepared to take off, but there was no immediate word if weather was a factor. Steve McLaughlin of MTJ Air Services, which de-ices private planes at the airport, said his company did not de-ice Ebersol's plane before it took off. Airport Manager Scott Brownlee said he did not know whether the plane had been de-iced.
Witnesses said it appeared the plane, a CL-601 Challenger, never got off the ground, and Arnold said one of the survivors said it felt as if the plane was sliding off the runway during takeoff.
"I'm not familiar with the performance of this particular airplane but as we all know, ice can have detrimental effects on lifting surfaces," he said.
MONTROSE, Colo. ...
...Next up is another difficult task: figuring out why the charter plane skidded off the runway, killing three people and injuring three others, including Ebersol and his college-age son.
"I had two major concerns when I got here," said Arnold Scott, lead investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board. "The first was to recover the sixth occupant and the second was to recover the cockpit voice recorder. We accomplished those things and now we'll get into the intricate details of the investigation."
The plane carrying Ebersol and two of his sons crashed Sunday during a snowstorm while taking off from the airport outside this small town 185 miles southwest of Denver...
...The plane stopped in Colorado to drop off Ebersol's wife, actress Susan Saint James, then was taking off to head for South Bend, Ind., to drop Charles off at school. Instead, the plane skidded through a field, punched through two fences and burst into flames after crossing a small road...
...Gary Ellis was teaching Sunday school at a Baptist Church near the airport when he heard a loud "poof."
"It came to a rest, and a moment or two later it exploded into a huge fireball," said Ellis. "It was burning as it came down the runway."
With light snow falling Monday morning, crews began picking through the blackened pile of twisted metal and a 6-foot-high shard of warped fuselage. Two engines lay on the ground near the tail section and cows from a nearby pen looked on as a backhoe was brought in to dig under the wreckage...
...A heavy snowstorm had eased up before the plane prepared to take off, but there was no immediate word if weather was a factor. Steve McLaughlin of MTJ Air Services, which de-ices private planes at the airport, said his company did not de-ice Ebersol's plane before it took off. Airport Manager Scott Brownlee said he did not know whether the plane had been de-iced.
Witnesses said it appeared the plane, a CL-601 Challenger, never got off the ground, and Arnold said one of the survivors said it felt as if the plane was sliding off the runway during takeoff.
"I'm not familiar with the performance of this particular airplane but as we all know, ice can have detrimental effects on lifting surfaces," he said.
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It is interesting to note that the aircraft had just flown in from LA to drop off one pax, and so was likely on the ground for a short time, if you factor in the cold soaked wing, the ambient temp of M2 and the light snow reported at the time, the decision not to de-ice doesn't seem unreasonable.
I'm assuming here that the pilots conducted a visual inspection of the wing just before takeoff.
I'm assuming here that the pilots conducted a visual inspection of the wing just before takeoff.
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Here's the preliminary report from the NTSB:
NTSB Identification: DEN05MA029
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Sunday, November 28, 2004 in Montrose, CO
Aircraft: Canadair CL-601-2A12, registration: N873G
Injuries: 3 Fatal, 3 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On November 28, 2004, at 0955 mountain standard time, a Canadair Ltd, CL-601-2A12, N873G, owned by Hop a Jet, Inc., and operated by Air Castle, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during the take off roll from Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), Montrose, Colorado. A postimpact fire ensued. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The non-scheduled domestic passenger flight was being operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 135. The captain, flight attendant and one passenger were fatally injured. The first officer, and two passengers sustained serious injuries. The flight was departing at the time of the accident and was en route to South Bend, Indiana.
Airport personnel reported that the airplane arrived around 0900 and dropped off one passenger. The airplane remained parked at the fixed base operator for approximately 50 minutes. The FAA stated that the pilot contacted Denver Air Traffic Control to receive his instrument flight rules clearance at 0955. According to a witness at the airport, the airplane taxied out to runway 31, taxied onto the runway and performed a static run-up of a duration of approximately 1 minute. The initial ground roll appeared to be uneventful and then the witness lost sight of the airplane due to the snow and low visibility. Several other witnesses, located towards the departure end of the runway, reported hearing a loud "boom" or "whooshing." The airplane was observed by one witness to yaw to the right, putting the tail of the airplane perpendicular to the runway. The airplane impacted terrain to the right of runway and slid approximately 1,400 feet, through the airport perimeter fence, across a road and through an adjacent fence. The airplane came to rest within 200 feet of a dairy farm.
Weather at the time of the accident was reported as winds calm, visibility 1 1/4 statute miles, light snow and mist, sky condition few 500 feet agl, overcast 900 feet agl, temperature -01 degrees Celsius (C), dewpoint -02 C, altimeter 29.67 inches.
Parties to this investigation include the Federal Aviation Administration, Air Castle Worldwide Executive Jet Charter, General Electric, Bombardier, and Montrose County. Accredited representatives include the Canadian Transportation Safety Board with technical liaison support from Transport Canada.
Index for Nov2004 | Index of months
It certainly looks like there were ideal conditions for frost to form on the wing.
Also our Ops dept. said they had heard reports of poor braking action (MU's in the 20's) at Montrose that morning.
NTSB Identification: DEN05MA029
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Sunday, November 28, 2004 in Montrose, CO
Aircraft: Canadair CL-601-2A12, registration: N873G
Injuries: 3 Fatal, 3 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On November 28, 2004, at 0955 mountain standard time, a Canadair Ltd, CL-601-2A12, N873G, owned by Hop a Jet, Inc., and operated by Air Castle, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during the take off roll from Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), Montrose, Colorado. A postimpact fire ensued. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The non-scheduled domestic passenger flight was being operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 135. The captain, flight attendant and one passenger were fatally injured. The first officer, and two passengers sustained serious injuries. The flight was departing at the time of the accident and was en route to South Bend, Indiana.
Airport personnel reported that the airplane arrived around 0900 and dropped off one passenger. The airplane remained parked at the fixed base operator for approximately 50 minutes. The FAA stated that the pilot contacted Denver Air Traffic Control to receive his instrument flight rules clearance at 0955. According to a witness at the airport, the airplane taxied out to runway 31, taxied onto the runway and performed a static run-up of a duration of approximately 1 minute. The initial ground roll appeared to be uneventful and then the witness lost sight of the airplane due to the snow and low visibility. Several other witnesses, located towards the departure end of the runway, reported hearing a loud "boom" or "whooshing." The airplane was observed by one witness to yaw to the right, putting the tail of the airplane perpendicular to the runway. The airplane impacted terrain to the right of runway and slid approximately 1,400 feet, through the airport perimeter fence, across a road and through an adjacent fence. The airplane came to rest within 200 feet of a dairy farm.
Weather at the time of the accident was reported as winds calm, visibility 1 1/4 statute miles, light snow and mist, sky condition few 500 feet agl, overcast 900 feet agl, temperature -01 degrees Celsius (C), dewpoint -02 C, altimeter 29.67 inches.
Parties to this investigation include the Federal Aviation Administration, Air Castle Worldwide Executive Jet Charter, General Electric, Bombardier, and Montrose County. Accredited representatives include the Canadian Transportation Safety Board with technical liaison support from Transport Canada.
Index for Nov2004 | Index of months
It certainly looks like there were ideal conditions for frost to form on the wing.
Also our Ops dept. said they had heard reports of poor braking action (MU's in the 20's) at Montrose that morning.
Everything is under control.
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NTSB releases report
"Snow, electrical problems and flight crew performance were all noted in an investigative report about the 2004 crash in Colorado of a corporate jet carrying NBC sports executive Dick Ebersol and his family members."
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/02/ebe...ash/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/02/ebe...ash/index.html
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Hmmmm....
Seems a bit strange to only quote the pax if you are looking for a complete view of events. Was the co-pilot not able to provide the NTSB with any info? It could be in keeping with the practice of blaming the dead pilot.
If this is true, they've left themselves wide open - the survivors that is....
Chips
The report does not indicate whether the surviving co-pilot, Eric Sloan Wicksell, who suffered severe burns in the crash, had been interviewed.
Neither Ebersol recalled receiving any safety briefing from the crew before the flight took off, the report states.
Chips
