Lockheed SP-2H accident near Reserve, NM
On June 28, 1998, a Lockheed SP-2H (airplane) was involved in an accident near Reserve, NM. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 28, 1998
- Place
- Reserve, NM
- Aircraft
- Lockheed SP-2H · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.700°N, 108.761°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10298
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 27, 1998, at 2024 mountain daylight time, a Lockheed SP-2H (U.S. Navy P2V-7), N14835, owned and operated by Neptune Aviation Service, Inc., of Missoula, Montana, and contracted to the U.S. Forest Service, was destroyed when it collided with trees about 5 miles west of Reserve, New Mexico. The commercial rated captain and airline transport rated first officer were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the public use flight that originated at Silver City, New Mexico, approximately 1956. According to both the U.S. Forest Service and Neptune Aviation Service, Inc., the crew of N14835 (call sign "Tanker 8") had been engaged in fire fighting operations all day. The first officer, an initial attack trainee pilot, was in the left seat. The pilot in command was in the right seat. Carrying 2,450 gallons of retardant, the airplane had made a dry pass on the fire zone about 2020, then circled around to make a second pass and release its load. According to witnesses, the airplane struck trees while in a nose low, right wing low attitude. Upon ground impact, the airplane exploded and burned. CREW INFORMATION Both the U.S. Forest Service and Neptune Aviation Services, Inc., identified the pilot in command as Jerry David Donahue. Mr. Donahue, age 56, was born on September 7, 1941. He held Commercial Pilot Certificate No. 1708136, dated January 9, 1997, with airplane single/multiengine land and instrument ratings, and private pilot privileges in gliders. He was type rated (VFR only) in the DC-4, S-2, TBM, L-18
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.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · Lockheed aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
