Socata TBM 700 accident near Aspen, Colorado, February 15, 2003
On February 15, 2003 at about 11:01 pm local time, a Socata TBM 700, registered N700GJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Aspen, Colorado (Aspen-Pitkin Co/Sardy Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the dual student's failure to maintain aircraft control and the inadequate supervision by the flight instructor. Contributing factors include the tailwind and the turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2003 · about 11:01 pm local time
- Place
- Aspen, Colorado · Aspen-Pitkin Co/Sardy Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Socata TBM 700 · all TBM 700s on the register
- Registration
- N700GJ · registry record · serial 241
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The approach was stabilized at 100 knots with landing gear and flaps in the landing position. The approach was normal until approximately 100 feet above the runway at which time the airplane encountered a turbulence condition causing rapid-roll tendencies right and left. As the student began his landing flare at about 15 feet above the runway, the left wing dropped rapidly combined with a sudden high sink rate. At that point the flight instructor took control of the airplane, applying corrective rudder, aileron, pitch and power corrections. Despite the flight instructor's actions, the left wing struck the runway. Winds at the time were reported 310 degrees at 6 knots. The temperature was 2 degrees Celsius. Records suggest that the winds were variable throughout the day.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,592 hours in all; 445 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 11,910 as pilot in command; 3,454 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 7, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 691 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 479 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 124.3 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, October 1, 2002; 123.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,579 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT-6-64 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewood CO at 10:15 pm
- Destination: ASE Aspen CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 15, 7,006 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from ASE
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN03LA043.