Four people were killed just after midnight on February 13, 2026, when an Epic E1000 turboprop crashed on approach to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, according to local authorities and federal records.
The aircraft, a 2024 Epic E1000 registered as N98FK, crashed on Emerald Mountain roughly three nautical miles south of Steamboat Springs’ Bob Adams Airport (KSBS). Search and rescue crews recovered four bodies later that morning. Authorities have not yet released the victims’ identities.
FAA registry data shows the airplane was built in 2024 and issued its airworthiness certificate in March of that year. It was registered to ALS Aviation LLC of Franklin, Tennessee. The Epic E1000 is a high-performance, single-engine turboprop powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A engine.
Officials said the airplane had departed Kansas City’s Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (KMKC) and was inbound to Steamboat Springs when it struck terrain on the south-facing side of Emerald Mountain. The final ADS-B position was recorded near the summit shortly after 12:19 a.m. local time.
Weather observations around the time of the accident showed varying cloud layers and light winds in the area. Automated reports from Steamboat Springs Airport indicated visibility ranging between five and 10 statute miles during the early morning hours. Observations also showed broken and overcast cloud layers between approximately 1,400 and 4,100 feet above ground level. Surface winds were reported as light and variable.
The crash happened in mountainous terrain south of the airport, an area where elevation rises quickly from the Yampa Valley floor. Emerald Mountain sits immediately adjacent to Steamboat Springs and is a prominent feature near the airport environment.
KSBS sits at an elevation of 6,882 feet. Emerald Mountain rises to a height of 8,200 feet. The Epic reportedly struck the mountain near the summit.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Authorities secured the crash site overnight and restricted access while response teams worked in the area.
The accident marks a fatal loss involving one of the newest examples of the Epic E1000 in service. The aircraft comes equipped with a terrain proximity warning system and synthetic-vision flight display as standard equipment.
