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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2004 · about 7:36 pm local time · cases in 2004
- Place
- Eagle, Colorado · Eagle County Regional · cases near this airport · 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 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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 1,333 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 13, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,699.7 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 30, 2004; 249.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 75,000 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce 611-8 TAY (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce 611-8 TAY (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Nji, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SFO San Francisco CA at 5:40 pm
- Destination: EGE Eagle CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:23 pm from KEGE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N420QS on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Gulfstream G-IV Gulfstream IV 357 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 611-8 TAY · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 611-8 TAY · as the NTSB recorded it
- Eagle County Regional · nearest airport
- San Francisco International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 384 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,469 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DEN05LA030.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.