Beech C90 accident near Wikieup, AZ
On July 10, 2021, a Beech C90 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wikieup, AZ. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 10, 2021
- Place
- Wikieup, AZ
- Aircraft
- Beech C90 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.825°N, 113.391°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210711103452
Official records · WPR21FA266
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 10, 2021, about 1254 mountain standard time, a Beech C-90, turbo prop airplane, N3688P, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Wikieup, Arizona. The pilot and Air Tactical Group supervisor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a public-use firefighting aircraft in support of the Bureau of Land Management conducting aerial reconnaissance and supervision. The airplane was on station for about 45 minutes over the area of the Cedar Basin fire. The ADS-B data showed the airplane had accomplished multiple orbits over the area of the fire about 2,500 ft above ground level (agl). The last ADS-B data point showed the airplane’s airspeed as 151 knots, its altitude about 2,300 ft agl, and in a descent, about 805 ft east southeast of the accident site. No distress call from the airplane was overheard on the radio. According to a witness, the airplane was observed in a steep dive towards the ground. The airplane impacted the side of a ridgeline in mountainous desert terrain. The main wreckage was mostly consumed by a post-crash fire. Debris was scattered over an area of several acres. Another witness observed the left wing falling to the ground after the aircraft had impacted the terrain. The left wing had separated outboard of the nacelle and was located about 0.79 miles northeast of the main wreckage and did not sustain thermal damage. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate, airplane single and multi-engine land ratings. He also held flight instructor and ground instructor certificates, and instr
Probable cause
The failure and separation of the left wing’s outboard section due to a fatigue crack in the lower spar cap. Contributing to the accident was the operator’s decision to repair the wing spar instead of replacing it as recommended by the aircraft manufacturer. Also contributing to the accident was the failure of the Non-Destructive Testing inspector to detect the fatigue crack during inspection.
More accidents in AZ
- De Havilland DHC-6-300, Sep 27, 1989
- Cessna 402C, Jun 19, 1992
- Piper PA-31-350, Aug 17, 1983
- Piper PA-31-350, Feb 13, 1995
- Cessna 421C, Sep 2, 1995
Browse: Arizona · Beech 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.
