Hawker Siddeley HS-125-700 accident near Jackson, Wyoming, December 20, 2000
On December 20, 2000 at about 8:26 am local time, a Hawker Siddeley HS-125-700, registered N236BN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, Wyoming (Jackson Hole Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow IFR approach procedures and perform a missed approach when the runway was not in sight below approach minimums. Contributing factors were the copilot's failure to follow current ILS approach procedures and use the correct frequency to turn on the runway lights, the snowy whiteout conditions near the ground, and the dark night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2000 · about 8:26 am local time
- Place
- Jackson, Wyoming · Jackson Hole Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Siddeley HS-125-700 HA-125-700
- Registration
- N236BN · no longer on the register · serial NA-0236
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was flying a full instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 18 at a high altitude airport (elevation 6,445 feet), in a mountainous area, at night. The control tower was closed for the night. The airport was located in a national park, and, therefore, the runway lights were not left on during the night. During non-tower operation hours, the procedure for turning on the runway lights called for the pilot to key the microphone multiple times on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF), which was the tower frequency. The copilot of the accident airplane made multiple attempts to turn on the runway lights using the UNICOM frequency, which had been the CTAF until about 6 months before the accident. The captain continued his landing approach below approach minimums without the runway lights being on. While in the landing flare, the captain reported that strong cross-winds and blowing snow created a "white-out" weather condition. The airplane touched down 195 feet left of the runway centerline in snow covered terrain between the runway and taxiway. Two ILS Runway 18 approach plates were found in the airplane. One was out of date and showed the UNICOM frequency as the CTAF. The other was current and showed the tower frequency as the CTAF.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,120 hours in all; 1,540 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 17,995 as pilot in command; 1,875 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 15, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all; 1,078 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2,751 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,348 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 12, 2000; 114 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 25,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TFE 731-3R-1H (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett TFE731-3R-1H (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 5:06 am
- Destination: JAC Jackson WY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 6,300 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 14 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 am from JAC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.