# Accident 19980627028399A: Lkheed SP2H, Reserve, NM, June 27, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 27, 1998, 20:24 local time - Place: Reserve, NM - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Low Level Operations - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: CILG - Location: 33.7005° N, 108.7608° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7005&lon=-108.7608&mi=10 - Aircraft: N14835, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N14835-2000-04-24) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Lockheed SP-2H (registry code 5269601, https://openairdocs.org/model/lockheed-sp-2h) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: LKHEED SP2H - Reported engine: WRIGHT R335034 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98GA286](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98GA286) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980627028399A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW98GA286](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98GA286), Jun 28, 1998: Lockheed SP-2H (N14835), Reserve, NM, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: Failure of the copilot to maintain both lateral and vertical clearance from the trees, and failure of the captain to provide adequate supervision of the flight. ## Other reports on N14835 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19860418055329I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860418055329I), Apr 18, 1986: Lkheed P2V7JOHNSON (N14835), Indianapolis, IN, Minor damage. Loud pop heard and aircraft settled after touchdown. Tire failed. Fire developed in wheel well. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.