ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 293149
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| Date: | Tuesday 23 August 2005 |
| Time: | 14:12 LT |
| Type: |  PZL M-18A Dromader |
| Owner/operator: | Bureau Of Land Management |
| Registration: | N7077N |
| MSN: | 1Z023-03 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4410 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming T-53L7A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Elko, Nevada -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Elko Airport, NV (EKO/KEKO) |
| Elko Airport, NV (EKO/KEKO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane impacted terrain when it encountered tailwind and downdraft conditions during a fire retardant delivery flight over a ridgeline. According to the pilot, he flew the airplane over the drop site between 95 and 100 miles per hour (mph), about 60 feet above the terrain, and with 30 degrees of flaps extended. After dropping the retardant, he applied full power and retracted the flaps to 10 degrees with normal engine indications. The airplane would not climb without losing airspeed and the pilot realized he would not be able to clear the ridgeline in his flight path. He slowed the airplane as much as possible before the airplane collided with terrain. The weather observation at a nearby airport and reports from ground personnel close to the site indicated high and gusty wind conditions with velocities as high as 40 knots existed at the time of the accident, and would have resulted in a tailwind condition for the airplane as it made the retardant drop.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to adequately plan for the wind direction and speed during a fire retardant delivery flight, which led to a loss of true airspeed, failure to attain a proper climb rate, and the in-flight collision with mountainous terrain. Contributing factors were the high, gusty, tailwind conditions.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX05TA277
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2022 16:37 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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