18 dead in crash of Burbank-operated jet

Karen S. Kim and Tim Willert

AIRPORT DISTRICT -- Investigators flew to Colorado on Friday morning

after a chartered jet originating from Burbank Airport crashed Thursday

near Aspen, killing all 18 aboard -- including three crew members.

The Gulfstream III twin turbojet was maintained and operated by

Burbank-based Avjet Corp. It left Burbank Airport at 2:33 p.m. Thursday

and flew to Los Angeles International Airport to pick up additional

passengers before departing for Aspen at 4:16 p.m., officials said.

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a one-week,

on-site investigation of the crash, but no results are expected for at

least nine months, NTSB officials said.

“The aircraft was operated by a highly experienced crew and, as the

primary crew assigned to the aircraft, had flown multiple trips to and

from Aspen during the month of March,” Avjet Corp. President Marc

Foulkrod said Friday at a press conference.

Avjet Corp. representatives will be aiding the NTSB and Federal

Aviation Administration in an investigation, Foulkrod said.

The 20-year-old Gulfstream III was registered to Airborne Charter

Inc., a subsidiary of Cinergi Pictures Entertainment whose founder,

Andrew G. Vajna, produced such films as the “Rambo” trilogy, “Die Hard

With a Vengeance” and “Total Recall.”

None of the jet’s passengers were employees of Airborne or Cinergi,

according to a statement released Friday by Airborne.

The plane was on approach to Aspen-Pitkin County Airport when it

slammed into a bluff just short of the runway. The wreckage was strewn

over a 100-yard area near Highway 82, one-half mile west of the airport,

authorities said.

“Aspen is known as a very difficult airport; it is surrounded by

mountains,” said Foulkrod, who added that the Gulfstream III is regarded

as one of the safest corporate aircrafts around.

Among those killed in the crash were FOX-TV Channel 11 assignment

editor Mirweis Tukhi and researcher Marissa Withham, who were on a skiing

vacation, a station spokesman said.

BOX

A tentatively confirmed passenger list released Friday by Avjet Corp.,

operators of the Gulfstream III jet that crashed Thursday near Aspen,

Colo., killing all 18 people aboard.

Aguilar, Joe

Aguilar, Joey

Aguilar, Mario

Bacon, Danielle

Bernal, Elena

Cota, Romano

Garcia, Ivan

Greenberg, Ori

Frisbie, Bob

Kaplansky, Eugene

Kowalczyk, Peter

Naranjo, Catherine

New, Robert

Smith, Elizabeth Ann

Stanifer, Paul

Tuhki, Mirweis

Valanzuela, Maria

Witham, Marissa

Family members may contact Avjet Corp. at (800) 342-8538.