AOPA’s Air Safety Institute Releases Early Analysis of Steamboat Springs, Colorado Crash

The accident aircraft was N98FK, a 2024 Epic E1000 turboprop. 47-year-old Aaron Stokes, a businessman from Franklin, Tennessee, was flying the plane and had three passengers—his son, his nephew, and a family friend. The flight took off from Nashville and made a fuel stop at Kansas City’s Wheeler Downtown Airport while en route to Steamboat Springs/Bob Adams Field (KSBS).

“Initial indications show that the aircraft was on a RNAV approach to runway 32 at KSBS late at night,” ASI senior vice president Mike Ginter said.

The town of Steamboat Springs, a popular ski destination, is nestled in a valley between mountain peaks that rise to nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. The weather observation at the time included low clouds, and there were graphical AIRMETs for both icing and mountain obscuration.

The aircraft crashed into the top of Emerald Mountain, about four nautical miles south of the field, at 12:19 a.m., after it had descended through the published minimum descent altitude (MDA).

“ADS-B data show the pilot at 9,025 feet msl when he crossed the waypoint WDCHK, which has an MDA of 9,100 feet msl—meaning the aircraft was 75 feet lower than it should have been,” Ginter said. The aircraft continued to descend until it impacted terrain shortly thereafter.

“We believe some questions the NTSB will be asking in its investigation will be, for example, ‘What was the pilot’s mountain flying experience?’ ‘Why did the aircraft descend below the MDA before the pilot had the runway in sight?’ ‘Were the aircraft’s avionics set correctly?’ and, ‘Was there pressure to “get in” under less-than-ideal circumstances?’” he added.

Controlled flight into terrain, or CFIT, is the third deadliest cause of general aviation accidents. While tragic, these accidents hold important lessons for GA pilots.

“There were several risk factors present—a night arrival, after a long day, over challenging terrain, with low clouds. We recommend that all pilots use a flight risk assessment tool, or FRAT, to make sure they are aware of those risks before every flight,” Ginter said. “In addition, pilots should study approaches and special procedures closely, especially when flying into an unfamiliar airport.”

“Finally, know your autopilot, know yourself, always set your personal minimums ahead of time, and follow them deliberately,” he added.

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