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20151223020229A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Beech BE40 · Telluride, CO · December 23, 2015

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Date
December 23, 2015 · 14:10 local
Place
Telluride, CO
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
Foreign air carrier (Part 129)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
NONE
Reported as
Beech BE40
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Unknown or foreign certificate
Pilot’s flight hours
8,238 total459 in this make and model82 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Weather at tex was reported 10SM visibility and light snow. Ceiling of 4400 ft (broken clouds). Three minutes after the accident the weather was reported 4 sm and light snow, the ceiling was broken at 1800 feet.

Be 400 aircraft, axmex was cleared for loc/dme approach into Telluride by den ARTCC at approximately 2058Z. Pilots were asked to report cancelling IFR on the same denver center frequency. Pilots did not change frequencies as they anticipated ground contact and IFR cancellation soon. Upon approaching their mda pilots saw the airport and reported their cancellation on ARTCC frequency at approximately 2104Z. Pilots were not informed of NOTAM issued at 2050Z which stated the airport was closed (for snow removal). Pilots did not change to CTAF frequency due to their wanting to focus on the approach and landing and not wanting to change the radio station that low to the ground. Pilots did not see snowplow. At approximately 2100Z snowplow operator and airport manager privacy data omitted announced he was entering the runway and began sweeping the runway. Snowplow operator stated that the sweeper put up a cloud of snow behind him so the pilots may not have seen the plow until they were about to impact. 2111Z aircraft collided with the snowplow.

As the FAA filed it

WEATHER AT TEX WAS REPORTED 10SM VISIBILITY AND LIGHT SNOW. CEILING OF 4400 FT (BROKEN CLOUDS). THREE MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED 4 SM AND LIGHT SNOW, THE CEILING WAS BROKEN AT 1800 FEET.

BE 400 AIRCRAFT, AXMEX WAS CLEARED FOR LOC/DME APPROACH INTO TELLURIDE BY DEN ARTCC AT APPROXIMATELY 2058Z. PILOTS WERE ASKED TO REPORT CANCELLING IFR ON THE SAME DENVER CENTER FREQUENCY. PILOTS DID NOT CHANGE FREQUENCIES AS THEY ANTICIPATED GROUND CONTACT AND IFR CANCELLATION SOON. UPON APPROACHING THEIR MDA PILOTS SAW THE AIRPORT AND REPORTED THEIR CANCELLATION ON ARTCC FREQUENCY AT APPROXIMATELY 2104Z. PILOTS WERE NOT INFORMED OF NOTAM ISSUED AT 2050Z WHICH STATED THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED (FOR SNOW REMOVAL). PILOTS DID NOT CHANGE TO CTAF FREQUENCY DUE TO THEIR WANTING TO FOCUS ON THE APPROACH AND LANDING AND NOT WANTING TO CHANGE THE RADIO STATION THAT LOW TO THE GROUND. PILOTS DID NOT SEE SNOWPLOW. AT APPROXIMATELY 2100Z SNOWPLOW OPERATOR AND AIRPORT MANAGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ANNOUNCED HE WAS ENTERING THE RUNWAY AND BEGAN SWEEPING THE RUNWAY. SNOWPLOW OPERATOR STATED THAT THE SWEEPER PUT UP A CLOUD OF SNOW BEHIND HIM SO THE PILOTS MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THE PLOW UNTIL THEY WERE ABOUT TO IMPACT. 2111Z AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE SNOWPLOW.