Lockheed P2V-7 accident near Modena, UT
On June 3, 2012, a Lockheed P2V-7 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Modena, UT. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 3, 2012
- Place
- Modena, UT
- Aircraft
- Lockheed P2V-7 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 38.115°N, 114.037°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120603X74920
Official records · WPR12GA243
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 3, 2012, at 1347 mountain daylight time, a Lockheed P2V-7, N14447, designated as Tanker 11 (T-11) collided with mountainous terrain while conducting firefighting operations, 20 miles north of Modena, Utah. The airplane was operated by Neptune Aviation Services under contract with the US Forest Service as an exclusive public-use fixed-wing airtanker service contract conducted under the operational control of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Both pilots were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan had been filed. The flight originated in Cedar City, Utah, at 1315. The crew of Tanker 11 consisted of the pilot, copilot, and crew chief. They were based out of Missoula, MT, and had been together as a crew for the previous 3 weeks. Normally, the crews stay together for the entire fire season. Tanker 11 crew had operated out of Reno for the 2 weeks prior to the accident. During fire drop operations the tanker is manned by the pilot and copilot, while the crew chief remains at the fire base as ground personnel. The day before the accident while en route from Reno to Cedar City they performed one retardant drop on the White Rock fire, then landed at Cedar City. The crew departed the Cedar City tanker base and arrived at their hotel in Cedar City around 2230. The following morning, the day of the accident, the crew met at 0815, and rode into the Cedar City tanker base together. Tanker 11 took off at 1214 on its first drop on the White Rock fire,
Probable cause
The flight crew's misjudgment of terrain clearance while maneuvering for an aerial application run, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew's failure to follow the lead airplane's track and to effectively compensate for the tailwind condition while maneuvering.
More accidents in UT
- Beech A100, Aug 22, 2008
- Swearingen SA-226TC, Jan 15, 1987
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- Cessna T210L, May 7, 1995
- Gulfstream 690D, May 7, 1986
Browse: Utah · 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.
