What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 30, 2020, at approximately 1330 PDT, the las vegas FSDO received notification of a midair collision between two Air tractor AT-802A single engine turbo-prop airplanes that were dropping fire retardant on the bishop fire near Caliente, NV.
The crash occurred while the two aircraft were conducting firefighting operations controlled by the U.S. Bureau of land management under TFR 0/7355. Both aircraft were loaded with fire retardant at the mesquite airport in mesquite, Nevada, and flown together to perform a retardant drop just prior to the accident. The two aircraft had checked in with an Air attack aircraft and cleared into the fire area by a blm Air attack manager.
ADS-B data depicted the aircraft flying in very close proximity from the point of departure and throughout the entire flight. During the flight from mesquite airport and up until the crash, N8510M (tanker 866) was in front of N1558W (tanker 824). The aircraft were assigned a final drop altitude of 80 feet and followed a lead plane along the path where the two tankers were instructed to lay a fire retardant trail.
Just after N8510M finished dropping a trail of retardant, N15588W made a radio broadcast that he had fire retardant on his windshield and was ?going around?. He also made a radio broadcast that he was ?pickling? His load. Shortly after, both aircraft collided with each other.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 30, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 PDT, THE LAS VEGAS FSDO RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A MIDAIR COLLISION BETWEEN TWO AIR TRACTOR AT-802A SINGLE ENGINE TURBO-PROP AIRPLANES THAT WERE DROPPING FIRE RETARDANT ON THE BISHOP FIRE NEAR CALIENTE, NV.
THE CRASH OCCURRED WHILE THE TWO AIRCRAFT WERE CONDUCTING FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS CONTROLLED BY THE U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT UNDER TFR 0/7355. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE LOADED WITH FIRE RETARDANT AT THE MESQUITE AIRPORT IN MESQUITE, NEVADA, AND FLOWN TOGETHER TO PERFORM A RETARDANT DROP JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE TWO AIRCRAFT HAD CHECKED IN WITH AN AIR ATTACK AIRCRAFT AND CLEARED INTO THE FIRE AREA BY A BLM AIR ATTACK MANAGER.
ADS-B DATA DEPICTED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY FROM THE POINT OF DEPARTURE AND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. DURING THE FLIGHT FROM MESQUITE AIRPORT AND UP UNTIL THE CRASH, N8510M (TANKER 866) WAS IN FRONT OF N1558W (TANKER 824). THE AIRCRAFT WERE ASSIGNED A FINAL DROP ALTITUDE OF 80 FEET AND FOLLOWED A LEAD PLANE ALONG THE PATH WHERE THE TWO TANKERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO LAY A FIRE RETARDANT TRAIL.
JUST AFTER N8510M FINISHED DROPPING A TRAIL OF RETARDANT, N15588W MADE A RADIO BROADCAST THAT HE HAD FIRE RETARDANT ON HIS WINDSHIELD AND WAS ?GOING AROUND?. HE ALSO MADE A RADIO BROADCAST THAT HE WAS ?PICKLING? HIS LOAD. SHORTLY AFTER, BOTH AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH EACH OTHER.
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 aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.