Controlled Flights Into Terrain

OK, I admit it, it was a cheap trick setting the barometric pressure that low and winding the altimeter completely the other way so you hit that mountain. But that is how lives get lost in places like this, and the approach plate specifically mentions that the procedure is not authorised if you haven't obtained an alitimeter setting first.

You can congratulate yourself if you tuned to the Aspen ATIS in FS2000 and reset your altimeter before you began your descent; if you did that you definitely have the makings of a pilot. If you didn't do that, then I am sorry about the airplane, and I hope that you made a virtual will beforehand. In reality, the regulations require that you set your your altimeter to 29.92 at 18000 feet or above (Pressure altitude), and that you need to update your barometric pressure to show indicated altitude when you are operating IFR below 18000 feet - specifically by reference to a station which is along the route and within 100 nm of the aircraft's position. This is one of those things that makes real flight a much busier experience than flight simulation, and a pain in the ass it is too - but the regs are the regs, and in any case, it is too important a thing to miss out, what with mountains having such hard surfaces and all.

Load the situation again and this time, tune the radio to 120.40 and hit "B" to reset the altimeter. Now you can fly the descent safely - but don't forget the lesson. If you ever take up flying for real, it is this kind of thinking that can save your life.

There is another reason why you might not have completed the approach: losing too much height in the holding pattern turns. It takes a certain amount of anticipation to complete a turn without losing a significant amounts of altitude - a simulation is a good place to learn about this...