Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV accident near Eagle, Colorado, November 29, 2004
On November 29, 2004 at about 7:36 pm local time, a Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV, registered N420QS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eagle, Colorado (Eagle County Regional airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
nose wheel steering system failure due to foreign material substance contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2004 · about 7:36 pm local time
- Place
- Eagle, Colorado · Eagle County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV · all G-IVs on the register
- Registration
- N420QS · registry record · serial 1320
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the captain, the airplane touched down on runway 25 at 1,000 feet. Shortly after the nose wheel touched down, the aircraft experienced an uncommanded divergence to the right. The captain was unable to correct for the divergence. Approximately 2,800 feet down the runway, skid/scuff marks from the airplane's nose landing gear tires appear as the airplane begins to veer to the right. Approximately 3,900 feet, the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The nose landing gear folded aft, and the airplane's nose and right wing tip struck the terrain. The airplane continued to slide, coming to a stop on the edge of the runway at 4,500 feet. The airplane's forward fuselage and outboard right wing were substantially damaged. EGE AWOS reported calm wind. Several tests of the nose wheel steering servo valve unit revealed that it was commanding a full flow output, resulting in a "hard over," condition. During the disassembly of the servo valve, a small piece of Teflon lacing tape was located under the torque motor cover seal. Moisture, rust and a white powdery substance, was observed under the cover, on the torque motor frame, magnets, and in the armature air gaps. The unit was cleaned, reassembled and installed back on the test stand. A room temperature test and cold soak test was completed. No further "hard over" conditions were detected. According to Parker, the hard over condition is consistent with the foreign object contamination. The contamination would permit accumulation of moisture, which could freeze and exert torque on the torque motor armature. This condition would offset the torque balance and cause the first stage jet to move, commanding the second stage spool into a hard over (P to C2) condition.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. This site 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 DEN05LA030.