Gulfstream COMMANDER N840NK

Summary

On 15 January 2009 at about 14:00 local time, a Gulfstream COMMANDER registered N840NK, operated by J-W Operating Company, was involved in an accident near Wray, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 January 2009 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wray, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Wray Municipal Airport (2V5)

Coordinates

40.1792, -102.2414

Aircraft

Gulfstream COMMANDER

Registration

N840NK

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

J-W Operating Company

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denver → Wray

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09FA135

3 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the approach resulting in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper preflight planning and conditions conducive for structural icing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was "cleared for the approach" and approximately eight minutes later was observed emerging from the clouds, flying from west to east. Witnesses reported that the nose of the airplane dropped and the airplane subsequently impacted terrain in a near vertical attitude. Impact forces and a post impact fire destroyed the airplane. Examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies. Weather at the time of the accident was depicted as overcast with three to six miles visibility. An icing probability chart depicted the probability for icing during the airplane's descent as 76 percent. AIRMETS for moderate icing and instrument meteorological conditions had been issued for the airplane’s route of flight. Another airplane in the vicinity reported light to moderate mixed icing. It could not be confirmed what information the pilot had obtained in a weather briefing, as a briefing was not obtained through a recorded source. A weight and balance calculation revealed that the accident airplane was 1,000 pounds over gross weight at the time of departure and 560 pounds over gross weight at the time of the accident. It was estimated that the center of gravity was at or just forward of design limitations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.