Accidents
Aspen Takeoff Overrun Followed Instantaneous Wind Call 
The NTSB final report was inconclusive about why the jet was unable to rotate
Aspen Hawker takeoff runway overrun accident
© NTSB

Gusty tailwinds reportedly proved too strong to allow the pilots attempting to take off in a Hawker 800XP to lift the nose at rotation speed on Feb. 21, 2022, at Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, the National Transportation Safety Board said. No one was injured after the crew aborted the takeoff and the jet went off the runway and into the snow, although the Hawker was substantially damaged. 

According to the NTSB final report, the probable cause of the accident was “the flight crew’s decision to take off in tailwind conditions that were consistently above the airplane’s tailwind limitation, which resulted in a runway overrun following an aborted takeoff. Contributing was the flight crew’s use of the instantaneous wind report for the decision to attempt the takeoff.” Like many business jets, the Hawker’s tailwind takeoff limitation is 10 knots.