NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As federal investigators work to determine what caused a fatal plane crash in the Colorado mountains that killed four people, a nationally recognized aviation safety attorney is urging the aircraft’s owner to immediately release key records that could shed light on the tragedy.
On February 12, 2026, an Epic E1000 six-seat turboprop registered to ALS Aviation LLC of Franklin, Tennessee departed Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport (JWN), stopped in Kansas City, and later crashed into Emerald Mountain near Steamboat Springs, Colorado at approximately 12:20 a.m. (MST) on February 13, 2026. All four individuals on board were killed.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating.
Public flight tracking data shows the aircraft’s path maneuvered for what appears to be an approach for landing from south of the Steamboat Springs Airport. The approach appeared to take the aircraft directly in the path of Emerald Mountain, where the crash occurred. Keith Williams, founder of The Keith Williams Law Group, believes the flight path of the aircraft could indicate issues with the instruments or avionics equipment on board, among other factors that may have contributed to causing the crash.
Mr. Williams stated:
The flight was attempting to land at night in darkness, when an aircraft’s instruments and avionics equipment are so important for guiding the pilot safely to the runway. The landing approach path that appears to have taken the aircraft directly into the mountain may indicate there was a problem with the instruments or avionics equipment. Inspection of those components, as well as the aircraft’s flight plan, will be important parts of the investigation and in helping determine what happened in this tragedy that caused the loss of four lives.
The NTSB investigation remains ongoing, and Mr. Williams emphasized that while the NTSB investigation may take months. “The sooner we know the cause, the sooner we can focus on preventing the next tragedy.”
In addition to his practice, Mr. Williams is the Past Chair of the American Association for Justice’s Aviation Litigation Section, and he is a member of the Aviation and Space Law Committee of the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section. Mr. Williams is also a member and past president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association.
For more information, call (615) 444-2900 or visit www.keithwilliamslawgroup.com.
###
* Photo is attached.
About Keith Williams Law Group
With two convenient locations, one in downtown Nashville and the other on the historic town square in Lebanon, Keith Williams Law Group can help its clients achieve the maximum possible compensation for their injuries. Its attorneys represent those who have been injured as a result of car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, aviation accidents, highway work zone accidents, defective products, and trucker broker negligence. For more information, call (615) 444-2900 or visit www.keithwilliamslawgroup.com.

