What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The airplane had made a dry pass on the fire zone, then circled around to make a second pass and release its load of 2,450 gallons of retardant. According to witnesses, the airplane struck trees while in a nose low, right wing low attitude. Upon ground impact, the airplane exploded and burned. Investigation revealed no evidence of preimpact airframe, engine, propeller, or flight control failure/malfunction. The first officer, an initial attack trainee pilot, was in the left seat and the captain was in the right seat. Toxicology tests of the first officer indicated 0.031 ug/ml brompheniramine, 0.011 ug/ml chlorpheniramine in kidney fluid, and 0.142 brompheniramine, 0.072 chlorpheniramine in liver fluid. Both medications are over-the-counter antihistamines with sedative effects. (-23) on June 27, 1998, at 2021 MDT, a Lockheed SP-2H (N14835) call-sign "tanker O8," registered to and operated by neptune, inc., of missoula, Montana, and under contract to the us forest service of albuquerque, NM, was destroyed when it collided with trees while applying fire-retardant chemical on a forest fire approximately five (5) miles west of Reserve, NM. The commer cial rated pilot-in-command and airline transport rated co-pilot officer were the only crewmembers on board, and both were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the public use flight that originated at silver city, NM, at approximately 1950 MDT. According to usfs personnel, the co-pilot was in upgrade training for designation as pilot-in-command, and was occupying the left seat. The aircraft had made one pass on the fire and released one-half of its load of retardant. While conducting the second pass the aircraft collided with the trees, struck the ground, and exploded. On site investigation disclosed the aircraft was totally destroyed, by both ground impact and post crash fire damage, that it was impossible to determine flight control integrity. Other aircraft operating on the frequency did not hear any transmissions from tanker 08 that would have indicated any difficulty existed.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE AIRPLANE HAD MADE A DRY PASS ON THE FIRE ZONE, THEN CIRCLED AROUND TO MAKE A SECOND PASS AND RELEASE ITS LOAD OF 2,450 GALLONS OF RETARDANT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES WHILE IN A NOSE LOW, RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. UPON GROUND IMPACT, THE AIRPLANE EXPLODED AND BURNED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT AIRFRAME, ENGINE, PROPELLER, OR FLIGHT CONTROL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION. THE FIRST OFFICER, AN INITIAL ATTACK TRAINEE PILOT, WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT AND THE CAPTAIN WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE FIRST OFFICER INDICATED 0.031 UG/ML BROMPHENIRAMINE, 0.011 UG/ML CHLORPHENIRAMINE IN KIDNEY FLUID, AND 0.142 BROMPHENIRAMINE, 0.072 CHLORPHENIRAMINE IN LIVER FLUID. BOTH MEDICATIONS ARE OVER-THE-COUNTER ANTIHISTAMINES WITH SEDATIVE EFFECTS. (-23) ON JUNE 27, 1998, AT 2021 MDT, A LOCKHEED SP-2H (N14835) CALL-SIGN "TANKER O8," REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY NEPTUNE, INC., OF MISSOULA, MONTANA, AND UNDER CONTRACT TO THE US FOREST SERVICE OF ALBUQUERQUE, NM, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE APPLYING FIRE-RETARDANT CHEMICAL ON A FOREST FIRE APPROXIMATELY FIVE (5) MILES WEST OF RESERVE, NM. THE COMMER CIAL RATED PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED CO-PILOT OFFICER WERE THE ONLY CREWMEMBERS ON BOARD, AND BOTH WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PUBLIC USE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT SILVER CITY, NM, AT APPROXIMATELY 1950 MDT. ACCORDING TO USFS PERSONNEL, THE CO-PILOT WAS IN UPGRADE TRAINING FOR DESIGNATION AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND WAS OCCUPYING THE LEFT SEAT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD MADE ONE PASS ON THE FIRE AND RELEASED ONE-HALF OF ITS LOAD OF RETARDANT. WHILE CONDUCTING THE SECOND PASS THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TREES, STRUCK THE GROUND, AND EXPLODED. ON SITE INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED, BY BOTH GROUND IMPACT AND POST CRASH FIRE DAMAGE, THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE FLIGHT CONTROL INTEGRITY. OTHER AIRCRAFT OPERATING ON THE FREQUENCY DID NOT HEAR ANY TRANSMISSIONS FROM TANKER 08 THAT WOULD HAVE INDICATED ANY DIFFICULTY EXISTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N14835 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.