Grumman TS-2A accident near Banning, CA
On October 5, 1998, a Grumman TS-2A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Banning, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 5, 1998
- Place
- Banning, CA
- Aircraft
- Grumman TS-2A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.940°N, 116.970°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X11282
Official records · LAX99GA005
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 5, 1998, at 1236 hours Pacific daylight time, a Grumman TS-2A, N416DF, operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by the California Department of Forestry (CDF) as Tanker 96, was destroyed during a collision with mountainous terrain near Banning, California. The government owned aircraft was maintained and pilot services provided by San Joaquin Helicopters (SJH), a private contractor. The pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight. The aircraft was on a fire suppression mission at the time of the accident and carrying fire retardant chemicals. According to the CDF, the tanker pilot made two previous drops on the Mt. Edna fire line. The tanker pilots are directed by spotter aircraft orbiting the fire. The accident pilot was directed by the spotter aircraft to tag onto the previous drop of Tanker 75. According to the pilot of Tanker 75, he had dropped in the same area, but in the opposite direction due to a gap between the previous drop and the rest of the line they were attempting to build. He stated that the drop was basically into the wind and he encountered severe turbulence but no loss of flight control. However, he had experienced a momentary loss of control on the previous drop while orbiting the fire approximately 1,000 feet agl and 1/4 mile west of the accident site in a left bank (approximately 15 degrees). The aircraft rolled 45-60 degrees. He concluded that there was a severe "rotor" effect coming off the ridges on the east side of the fire. Another tanker pilot and an U.S. Forest Service (USFS) spotter pil
Probable cause
The pilot misjudged his maneuvering altitude. Factors to this accident were the mountainous terrain, tailwind conditions, and turbulence in the area.
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Browse: California · Grumman 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.
