Denver - Vail

On March 27, 1987 at 08:45 PM, Denver - Vail experienced a crash involving Learjet 24, operated by Kalitta Charters - Kalitta Services, with the event recorded near Vail Colorado.

The flight was categorized as ambulance and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. After refueling in Denver, the medical evacuation flight was diverted from Aspen to Eagle to enplane the patient. IFR flight to Eagle was uneventful and radar service was terminated after the controller cleared the flight for the lDA-A approach to the Eagle Airport which shows a 239° inbound course. The last radio contact occurred when the crew replied 'we're 8 to 10 out and it's clear ahead' to Eagle radio in answer to a request for a base report. The flight collided with an 8,022 foot msl mountaintop bearing 298°, 3.88 miles from the airport while in the approach configuration. The safety board believes the flight was circling to land on runway 07, and the dark night prevented required visual lookout to avoid terrain obstructions. The Jeppesen approach charts used by the flightcrew did not accurately depict terrain obstructions within the 5-mile radius of the airport as stipulated in their legend. The safety board believes this could have mislead the flightcrew. All three occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration N31SK, MSN 24-118, year of manufacture 1966.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 39.6457°, -106.5879°.