Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On January 21, 2004, at approximately 0040 mountain standard time, a Dassault Aviation DA-20 Falcon Jet, N200JE, operated by Jet Ex, Incorporated, was substantially damaged during landing on runway 08L at the Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB), Pueblo, Colorado. The airline transport certificated captain, airline transport certificated first officer, and the 3 passengers on board the airplane reported no injuries. The personal flight was being conducted on an instrument flight rules flight plan from St. Louis, Missouri, to PUB, under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated at 2315 central standard time.

The captain reported that he was the pilot-in-command and the pilot flying at the time of the accident. He said he obtained weather briefings from the St. Louis Flight Service Station and from Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). He said they did not include any NOTAMS (Notice to Airman) of a contaminated runway at PUB. The captain said they had obtained a report from the local fixed base operator at PUB that a Learjet had landed earlier and reported the runway as being okay. The captain said the tower was closed on their arrival, so they made a low pass to inspect the runways. Based on the runway and wind conditions, they decided their best choice for landing was on runway 08L. The captain said the landing was normal and the airplane initially decelerated with normal braking. As they encountered snow and ice patches, the captain said he elected to deploy the thrust reversers. The captain said that as the thrust reversers deployed, the airplane began to yaw to the left and differential braking failed to realign the airplane with the runway. The captain said the airplane departed the left side of the runway and rotated counter clockwise approximately 200-225 degrees before coming to rest on a southwesterly heading.

The first officer confirmed the captain's statements. He said that his last flight with the captain prior to the accident flight had been less than a year previous.

Both pilots said there were no prior problems with the thrust reversers. The captain stated that he seldom used the thrust reversers during landing for passenger comfort, but always performed the required check of them during taxi for takeoff.

The company reported that the pilot received several weather reports en route stating that visual meteorological conditions prevailed at PUB. The pilot circled the airport to determine runway conditions and then decided to land on runway 08, as it appeared to have very little to no snow on it. After a normal touchdown, the pilot applied the brakes. The airplane was not slowing quickly, so the pilot deployed the thrust reversers. The airplane yawed and departed the runway. The company's chief pilot stated he was unaware of any problems associated with the thrust reversers.

A witness on th