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Aug 27, 2023

National Transportation Safety Board releases final report on 2021 Steamboat plane crash

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Federal investigators say the fatal crash of a single-engine propeller plane after a missed approach to Steamboat Springs Airport in December 2021 was likely due to a combination of environmental factors and pilot error.

Dr. Clint Devin, 46, of Steamboat Springs, was the pilot and sole person on board the plane bound from Cody, Wyoming when the aircraft aborted its landing attempt shortly after 6 p.m. before crashing into Emerald Mountain.

A final report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board in June noted that Devin prematurely aborted his landing approach to the airport “for an unknown reason” before executing a left turn “consistent with the missed approach procedure,” but without gaining the necessary altitude to perform the maneuver.

To perform the aborted landing procedure required the plane to climb to at least 8,740 feet to clear Emerald Mountain, but flight instrument data showed the airplane only reached roughly 8,200 feet, according to the final investigation. Weather conditions at the time provided one mile of visibility with a cloud ceiling of 1,200 feet.

According to the report, investigators could not determine “why the missed approach procedure was prematurely initiated and why the aircraft failed to climb,” but stated the “probable” causes of the accident to be “the pilot’s failure to adhere to the published instrument approach procedure, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.”

Investigators said “a post-accident examination of the airframe, engine and propeller revealed no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.”

“After the initial impact, the airplane bounced and came to rest, and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail and both wings,” the report noted.

Routt County Search and Rescue volunteers used snowmobiles to access the top of Emerald Mountain.

Devin, a husband and father of two, worked as an orthopedic surgeon with Steamboat Orthopedic and Spine Institute and was beloved by his colleagues.

A statement released by the institute after the crash noted Devin was a “brilliant spine surgeon who helped many to move forward in their journey toward healing.”

“As a father and husband, Clint was dedicated to his family and was thrilled to move them to Steamboat to be part of our active, caring community. As a partner, Dr. Devin was a driver in the creation of the new SOSI practice and the Steamboat Surgical Center. Clint Devin, with his intellect and genuine smile, will truly be missed by all of us,” the statement said.

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