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Video Captures Aspen Challenger Crash

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Key Takeaways:

  • A Challenger 601 jet crashed at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport on January 5, an event captured by infrared security cameras.
  • The crash occurred on the aircraft's second landing attempt after the first was aborted due to strong tailwinds.
  • One pilot was killed and two others critically injured when the jet bounced, crashed, caught fire, and reportedly flipped onto its back.
  • Strong tailwinds (33 knots) and reported wind shear are being investigated as contributing factors to the accident.
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Dramatic security video from five infrared cameras at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport in Colorado captured the January 5 crash of a Challenger 601 that killed a pilot and critically injured two others.

The video, posted online by Aspen Journalism, a local non-profit media outlet, shows the airplane on its second landing attempt after aborting the first try due to strong tailwinds. Immediately after touching down, the Challenger bounces back into the air before crashing on the runway in a fireball.

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