- Date
- May 18, 2011, 17:27 local (May 19, 2011, 00:27 UTC)
- Place
- Point Mugu, CA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N707ARBoeing 707-321B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 26, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- Pratt & Witney, Omega Air, Inc., Boeing Commeercial Airplanes, Omega Aerial Refueling Services, Inc., FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110518024499A
- Case key
- 79141
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the failure of a midspar fitting, which was susceptible to fatigue cracking and should have been replaced with a newer, more fatigue-resistant version of the fitting as required by an airworthiness directive. Also causal was an erroneous maintenance entry made by a previous aircraft owner, which incorrectly reflected that the newer fitting had been installed.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/reports_aviation.html. The Aircraft Accident Brief number is NTSB/AAB-13/01. On May 18, 2011, about 1727 Pacific daylight time,[1] a modified Boeing 707, registration N707AR, operating as Omega Aerial Refueling Services (Omega) flight 70 crashed on takeoff from runway 21 at Point Mugu Naval Air Station, California (KNTD). The airplane collided with a marsh area to the left side beyond the departure end of the runway and was substantially damaged by postimpact fire. The three flight crewmembers sustained minor injuries. The flight was conducted under the provisions of a contract between Omega and the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to provide aerial refueling of Navy F/A-18s in offshore warning area airspace. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Omega, and the US Navy, the airplane was operating as a nonmilitary public aircraft under the provisions of 49 United States Code Sections 40102 and 40125.
Factual narrative
The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/reports_aviation.html. The Aircraft Accident Brief number is NTSB/AAB-13/01. On May 18, 2011, about 1727 Pacific daylight time,[1] a modified Boeing 707, registration N707AR, operating as Omega Aerial Refueling Services (Omega) flight 70 crashed on takeoff from runway 21 at Point Mugu Naval Air Station, California (KNTD). The airplane collided with a marsh area to the left side beyond the departure end of the runway and was substantially damaged by postimpact fire. The three flight crewmembers sustained minor injuries. The flight was conducted under the provisions of a contract between Omega and the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to provide aerial refueling of Navy F/A-18s in offshore warning area airspace. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Omega, and the US Navy, the airplane was operating as a nonmilitary public aircraft under the provisions of 49 United States Code Sections 40102 and 40125.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N707AR
- Reported as
- Boeing 707-321B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20029
- Engines
- P & W JT3D-3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanP & W JT3D-3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanP & W JT3D-3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanP & W JT3D-3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Operator
- Omega Aerial Refueling Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Omega Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- NTD · Pt Mugu, CA
- Destination
- NTD · Pt Mugu, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KNTD · Naval Base Ventura County, runway 21, 11,000 × 200 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,117 total · 2,730 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,052 total · 2,101 in this make and model
- Role
- Flight engineer
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Flight engineer
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 24 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- KNTD
Docket · 91
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.