Durango-La Plata County

During flight, crew shut down the right engine when warning light for gearbox oil pressure illuminated and pressure was noted below minimum limit of 130 psi. Shortly after securing right engine, left engine lost power (fuel tank shutoff valve switch and fuel crossfeed valve switch were located near each other). Attempts to restart left engine were unsuccessful. With lack of alternative current electrical power, captain could not unfeather right engine for restart. During emergency landing, aircraft was damaged on uneven terrain. Operational check of right engine (at ground level) revealed no malfunction that would have prevented normal operation. Examination of left engine revealed turbine section had overheated and turbine blades had severe heat damage. Captain said that when he tried to restart left engine, fuel valves were in normal position and power lever was 1' above idle. He recalled an engine rpm of 8000, but didn't recall if he had used feather button to reduce rpm to 3000 (as directed by checklist). He verified fuel switches were 'on' and he tried to crossfeed fuel (in event of blockage). Cross feeding of fuel was not part of restart procedure. Flight manual cautioned about importance of reducing power to flight idle, to decrease fuel flow to engine and minimize possible overheating.

After making an IFR approach, the pilot made a go-around because he was blinded by the reflection of the landing/taxi lights against the falling snow. The pilot landed the aircraft after the second approach. The pilot said he sensed the aircraft drifting to the left and he tried to correct, but it collided with a snow bank. The investigation disclosed no evidence of aircraft hydroplaning or skidding. Airport management elected to delay plowing the runway for fear of it freezing over. Passengers claimed there was 2-3 inches of snow on top of a 3/4- inch layer of slush. Further investigation revealed that the runway lights were of various intensities because some unapproved light bulbs of different amperage were used. The runway was not equipped with centerline lighting. The painted white centerline stripe was covered by snow and slush.

The aircraft was operating as Continental Express flight 2286. During the approach in IFR conditions, the aircraft went below the minimum descent altitude then struck the terrain at 7,180 feet msl. Examination of the aircraft did not disclose any pre-impact failures or system malfunctions. The evidence indicated that the copilot was flying the airplane during the approach. Evaluation of the radar data showed an excessive rate of descent before the collision with terrain. Postmortem toxicological examination showed that the captain had used cocaine prior to this flight. The safety board concluded that this use had adversely affected his ability to monitor the unstabilized approach flown by the copilot. Records of both crewmembers revealed prior traffic violations and accidents, and, in the case of the captain, a previous aircraft accident. Evaluation of the weather conditions indicated that a 10 to 15 knot tailwind condition existed throughout the approach.

While on a night approach to Durango-La Plata County Airport, the pilot decided to initiate a go-around. For unknown reasons, the twin engine airplane failed to gain sufficient height, struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located few miles from the airport. Two passengers were seriously injured while four other occupants were killed.