The January 5 crash of a Bombardier Challenger 601-3R during the crew’s second attempted landing at Aspen Pitkin County Airport (ASE) has prompted pilots to question both their own limitations and the difficulties involved in landing at the Denver resort. Even under visual conditions, mountains that rise 5,000 to 6,000 feet above field elevation make Aspen a one-way-in, one-way-out airport: land on Runway 15 and depart from Runway 33.

AIN asked some pilots who regularly operate there to share their wisdom, on condition of anonymity. “One clear day I asked the tower if I could circle to 33 [in a Challenger] just to see what it was like,” one pilot said. “It was scary. Steep banking at high altitude introduces the potential for an accelerated stall, for one thing. It’s a risky maneuver under the best conditions in a high-performance jet.”

The lowest landing minimums at ASE are available only to pilots who complete special FAA-training. Landing gear and flaps must be extended before the final approach fix at Aspen if the airplane is to get down in time and still be slow enough for touchdown. The final approach slope is slightly less than seven degrees, about equal to that for the UK’s London City Airport.

One operator said he does not care about approach minimums. “If we don’t see the runway by the DOYPE {{SMALL CAPS}} fix [5.5 nm from the end of the runway], we execute a missed approach.”

Another pilot said frontal passages create turbulence across the mountains so severe at times that an approach is not even possible. “The tailwind issues at Aspen are a very important consideration,” said another pilot.

Between October and February, northwesterly winds can often exceed the tailwind limitation for many aircraft. On January 5, the wind was as strong as 28 knots from the northwest just before the ill-fated Challenger’s landing. All the operators AIN spoke to have a policy that prohibits them from conducting night operations at Aspen.