# NTSB DCA05MA011: Gulfstream Aerospace G-III, N85VT, Houston, TX, November 22, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 1 · Major · Final report - Date: November 22, 2004, 06:15 local (11:15 UTC) - Place: Houston, TX - Coordinates: 29.601388, -95.326667 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6014&lon=-95.3267&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 3 fatal - Status: Completed, report November 20, 2006 - Report: Board-adopted at Board Meeting - Investigation class: Class 1 - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 60592 - NTSB case page: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA05MA011.aspx - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60592/pdf - Board report AAB0606 (PDF): https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAB0606.pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA05MA011 ## Probable cause the flight crew's failure to adequately monitor and cross check the flight instruments during the approach. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew's failure to select the instrument landing system frequency in a timely manner and to adhere to approved company approach procedures, including the stabilized approach criteria. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, approach - faf/outer marker to threshold (ifr) - continued below, flightcrew (contributing factor) - improper use of procedure, flightcrew (contributing factor) - flight/navigation instrument(s) - not verified, flightcrew (cause) ## Analysis The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm. The Aircraft Accident Brief number is NTSB/AAB-06/06. On November 22, 2004, about 0615 central standard time, a Gulfstream G-1159A, N85VT, operated by Business Jet Services Ltd., struck a light pole and crashed about 3 miles southwest of William P. Hobby Airport, Houston, Texas, while on an instrument landing system approach to runway 4. The two pilots and the flight attendant were killed, an individual in a vehicle near the airport received minor injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. ## Factual narrative The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm. The Aircraft Accident Brief number is NTSB/AAB-06/06.On November 22, 2004, about 0615 central standard time, a Gulfstream G-1159A, N85VT, operated by Business Jet Services Ltd., struck a light pole and crashed about 3 miles southwest of William P. Hobby Airport, Houston, Texas, while on an instrument landing system approach to runway 4. The two pilots and the flight attendant were killed, an individual in a vehicle near the airport received minor injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N85VT](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N85VT-2014-07-29), registration cancelled 2014-07-29, S/N 449 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Gulfstream Aerospace G-III - Registry model: [Gulfstream American G-1159A](https://openairdocs.org/model/gulfstream-american-g-1159a) (registry code 3970109) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 449 - Airframe hours: 8565.8 - Engines: Rolls-Royce 511-8 11400 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: The Jet Place, Inc. - Registered owner: The Jet Place, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, October 28, 2004, 28.8 hours before - Departed: DAL, DALLAS, TX - Destination: Houston, TX - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KHOU, Houston Hobby Airport, runway 4, 7,602 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: fatal; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; last flight review May 1, 2004; flight hours: 19,000 total, 1,000 in this make and model, 15,700 as pilot in command, 90 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 62; injuries: fatal; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; last flight review January 1, 2004; flight hours: 19,100 total, 1,700 in this make and model, 17,700 as pilot in command, 83 in the last 90 days, 24 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Dawn - Wind: 90° at 3 knots - Visibility: 0.13 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 100 ft broken - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.01 inHg - Observed at: KHOU, 4 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20041122034939A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041122034939A), Nov 22, 2004: Gulstm G1159A, Houston, TX, Destroyed, 3 fatal. (-23) Aircraft crashed 3 miles short of Houston Hobby airport during a positioning flight. Weather at the time of the accident was 1/8 mile visibility with 100… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.