ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 41391
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| Date: | Monday 15 May 2000 |
| Time: | 12:33 |
| Type: |  Cessna T337C Super Skymaster |
| Owner/operator: | Cortney Aviation |
| Registration: | N2522S |
| MSN: | 337-0822 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3675 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental TSIO-360-A/B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Alamogordo, NM -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Alamogordo Airport, NM |
| Alamogordo Airport, NM | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
At 1229 MDT, the Cessna T337C departed Runway 21 at the Alamogordo Airport on an aerial fire detection mission with the pilot occupying the left seat and the ATGS/observer in the right seat. They departed climbing easterly towards Alamo Canyon, which was not the flight route normally used for aerial detection flights. The aircraft flew toward very high terrain and into conditions of reported down drafts.
Four minutes after takeoff, the airplane was observed flying straight towards rising terrain (other pilots reported that there had been uplifting air movement there the previous several days). Radar data indicates that the airplane leveled off, and began to slow down. The airplane changed direction and flew over the edge of a 1,000 foot canyon; it then turned north towards rising terrain a second time. A witness said that he couldn't hear any engine sound; he observed the airplane spin towards the ground. He then heard an impact sound, and saw smoke. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a vertical attitude. The airplane was found with the rear propeller feathered, and the front propeller with no signatures of power. The rear engine fuel selector was found between main and off, and the front engine fuel selector was found on auxiliary. Normal procedure is to fly for an hour after takeoff on the main tanks. Pilots on later flights in this area reported "strong turbulence and very strong variable vertical air movements." The FAA recommends that a mountain ridgeline should be crossed at an angle to allow the pilot to turn away from the ridge with the least amount of turn required should down air be encountered.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, and the subsequent inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factors were the loss of engine power on both engines for unknown reasons and the terrain induced turbulence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X20975&key=1
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/2840945_United_States_Department_of_Agriculture_Forest_Service
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 12-Dec-2017 18:42 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Jul-2023 14:10 | harro | Updated [[Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]] |
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