There was a strong downslope windstorm the day of the crash. Located just east of Pike's Peak, Colorado Springs lies in the path of powerful winds rushing down the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. These winds and related turbulence can disrupt the operation of aircraft attempting to land or take off at the Colorado Springs airport. The FAA requested that researchers from NOAA and NCAR study terrain-induced turbulence at the airport as part of an effort to reduce mountain flying risks. NCAR's portion of the work was funded by NSF through an interagency agreement in response to requirements and funding by the FAA's Aviation Weather Research Program.
Atmospheric turbulence can extend over meters or kilometers.
It can completely change its shape within a few minutes. Pilots face some of their greatest challenges when flying through turbulence over or near mountainous terrain. One of the key risk factors was weather. To track turbulence in Colorado Springs, the researchers are deploying a wide array of surface and airborne instruments. The University of Wyoming's King Air aircraft is flying through the airport's approach and departure corridors, taking 25 atmospheric measurements per second.