Federal Aviation Administration Temporarily Grounds RNAV (GPS) Z Approach Amid Safety Concerns

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has suspended the RNAV (GPS) Z approach to Runway 32 at Steamboat Springs Airport in Colorado after a fatal crash involving an Epic E1000. According to AeroTime, the agency issued a Notice to Airmen declaring the procedure ‘NA’ for ’not available’ with restrictions extending to October 1, 2026. The FAA did not publicly explain why it pulled the approach. However, pilots and analysts have scrutinized the RNAV (GPS) Z Runway 32 procedure due to its terrain risks, particularly at night when the mountain ridge south of the airport is invisible to pilots approaching from the south.