Fire Fighting - Two Fatal in AZ

fholbert

fholbert

Mod's - Please don't edit my posts!
Date:10-JUL-2021
Time:c. 12:00
Type:
Silhouette image of generic BE9L model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different

Beechcraft C90 King Air
Owner/operator:
Registration:
MSN:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage:Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Category:Accident
Location:14 miles NE of Wikieup, Mohave County, AZ -
N.gif
United States of America
Phase:Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Fire fighting
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Narrative:
The fire fighting aerial reconnaissance aircraft was destroyed after a reported structural failure and ground impact near Wikieup, Mohave County, Arizona while working the Cedar Basin Fire. The two occupants received fatal injuries.
 
What are the primary risks of air attack? The tankers is kind of obvious but I am really ignorant of the air attack role.
 
WacoFan said:
What are the primary risks of air attack? The tankers is kind of obvious but I am really ignorant of the air attack role.
Click to expand...

Air attack is basically an aerial command platform, unlike tankers and the lead plane for the heavy tankers. Flies orbits above the scene. So what kind of structural failure and why, if witness reports are accurate, is perplexing.
 
MikeD said:
Air attack is basically an aerial command platform, unlike tankers and the lead plane for the heavy tankers. Flies orbits above the scene. So what kind of structural failure and why, if witness reports are accurate, is perplexing.
Click to expand...

Lead plane - I kind of envisioned Air Attack being the lead plane leading the tankers in/dropping smoke as a pathfinder in addition to aerial recon. I was probably conflating two different things (ignorance). But yeah - the in-flight break-up aspect made me question enough to ask here (and display my ignorance).
 
WacoFan said:
Lead plane - I kind of envisioned Air Attack being the lead plane leading the tankers in/dropping smoke as a pathfinder in addition to aerial recon. I was probably conflating two different things (ignorance). But yeah - the in-flight break-up aspect made me question enough to ask here (and display my ignorance).
Click to expand...
I thought the same thing until I had a bunch of friends go fly air attack. They’re all in Commanders though.
 
WacoFan said:
Lead plane - I kind of envisioned Air Attack being the lead plane leading the tankers in/dropping smoke as a pathfinder in addition to aerial recon. I was probably conflating two different things (ignorance). But yeah - the in-flight break-up aspect made me question enough to ask here (and display my ignorance).
Click to expand...

Air Attack wouldn’t be doing any hard maneuvering flight, so a reported structural failure is interesting. Who knows what may have been the history of the particular king air 90 and it’s former uses, Mx, etc.
 
I'm getting word the bird may have been from FFZ. One of Falcon Executive Aviation's C90's, contracted to do fire recon missions. Pilot was chief pilot of flight school. Very sad.

apnews.com

2 killed in crash of plane responding to an Arizona wildfire

WIKIEUP, Ariz. (AP) — Federal authorities on Sunday were at the scene of the crash of a small plane that killed two crew members responding to a wildfire in northwestern Arizona.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
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touch-n-go said:
I'm getting word the bird may have been from FFZ. One of Falcon Executive Aviation's C90's, contracted to do fire recon missions. Pilot was chief pilot of flight school. Very sad.

apnews.com

2 killed in crash of plane responding to an Arizona wildfire

WIKIEUP, Ariz. (AP) — Federal authorities on Sunday were at the scene of the crash of a small plane that killed two crew members responding to a wildfire in northwestern Arizona.
apnews.com apnews.com
Click to expand...

Yeah, Matt Miller. He was my CFI at Falcon Executive. My stomach dropped when I saw that.
 
I recall during my short stint with an E90 there was an inspection of the outer wing attach points/bolts. I believe it required removal of the bolts for NDT and the person assembling/disassembling had to have taken a specialized course offered by the manufacturer to legally sign it off.
 
MikeD said:
Air Attack wouldn’t be doing any hard maneuvering flight, so a reported structural failure is interesting. Who knows what may have been the history of the particular king air 90 and it’s former uses, Mx, etc.
Click to expand...
That's right. However, air attack aircraft (of any role) are sometimes kinda notoriously, er, under-investigated and under-maintained.
(See Hawkins and Powers, Greybull, WY)


 
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Roger Roger said:
I thought the same thing until I had a bunch of friends go fly air attack. They’re all in Commanders though.
Click to expand...
Twin Commanders are the first plane not to fly if you don't want the wings to fold on you. You know the history and the AD history, right?
 
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