Follows 2010 Fatal Accident In Wyoming

An accident in Wyoming in 2010 has prompted the NTSB to recommend to the FAA that it make changes in instrument departure procedures in the Jackson Hole, Wyoming area.

N201HF Route Of Flight

On October 25, 2010, about 1352 mountain daylight time,1 a Mooney M20J airplane, N201HF, collided with mountainous terrain near Lander, Wyoming.2 The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions likely prevailed at the time of the accident,3 which operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to Pierre Regional Airport (PIR), Pierre, South Dakota. The flight originated from Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at 1305.

After review of the air traffic control (ATC) services provided to the pilot by Jackson Hole Air Traffic Control Tower and Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center (Salt Lake Center), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is concerned that the published IFR departure procedures available to aircraft departing JAC may be inadequate. In addition, the NTSB believes that the en route automation modernization (ERAM) ATC software in use at Salt Lake Center needs improvement to ensure that IFR aircraft are afforded necessary en route minimum safe altitude warning (E-MSAW) protection.

The NTSB recommends that the FAA Establish Standard Instrument Departure procedures that provide transition routes and minimum instrument flight rules altitude information for aircraft cleared over commonly used navigational fixes from Jackson Hole Airport and similarly situated airports. It further suggests that the agency modify en route automation modernization software such that en route minimum safe altitude warning alerts are provided for aircraft in coast track status that are receiving automatic position updates.

Finally, the NTSB says the FAA should modify en route automation modernization software such that cautionary warnings are provided to controllers when an aircraft is predicted to enter a minimum instrument flight rules altitude (MIA) polygon below the MIA.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov