Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On February 7, 2015, about 2136 mountain standard time, a Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV airplane, N701DB, sustained minor damage during a rejected takeoff on runway 25 (9,000 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) at the Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), Eagle, Colorado. The five passengers and two pilots were not injured. The airplane was registered to GOAT Airways LLC and operated by Executive Air Charter of Boca Raton, Inc., dba Fair Wind Air Charter, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an executive/corporate flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the incident. The intended destination was the Bob Hope Airport (BUR), Burbank, California.The incident occurred during the second flight of the day. The previous flight departed the McCarran International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada, and arrived at EGE at 2049. The incident flight crew also operated the LAS to EGE flight, and no anomalies were reported with respect to that flight.

The pilot reported that before taxing the airplane a flight control check was performed. He noted that the flight control check was "normal," with "no binding or resistance issues." He added that the flight control forces seemed "normally loaded." During the initial takeoff attempt, the pilot engaged the auto-throttles. He stated that about 75 knots, a triple chime sounded and a master warning illuminated. He immediately rejected the takeoff with "light" brake pressure and coasted to the end of the runway. The flight crew reported that they did not observe any message on the Crew Alert System (CAS), nor were there any exceedance events recorded. In addition, they did not observe any tripped circuit breakers.

Based on this information, the pilot elected to attempt another takeoff. During this takeoff, he did not use the auto-throttles, electing to set the engine power manually. He reported that as the airplane accelerated through approximately 75 knots, the triple chime/master warning activated again. He observed that the engine low pressure (LP) turbine speed indicated within the yellow arc. He subsequently reduced engine thrust slightly in order to return the LP turbine speed to the white arc (normal operating range). The pilot continued the takeoff. At rotation speed, he pulled back on the control yoke but the flight controls did not seem to respond normally. He added that the controls had no "noticeable pressure resistance and felt unloaded with hydraulic pressure." He noted that the yoke was moved "forward and then back further aft" with the same result.

The pilot subsequently rejected the takeoff, applying maximum braking and full reverse thrust. The pilot taxied off the runway at taxiway A7 and brought the airplane to a stop on taxiway A. The flight crew requested response by aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) crews due