Boeing KC-135A KC135
13 March 1982 · Glendale, Arizona, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 13 March 1982 at about 17:51 local time, a Boeing KC-135A registered KC135, operated by Usaf, was involved in an accident near Glendale, Arizona, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 17:51
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Glendale, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.5302, -112.3799
- Aircraft
- Boeing KC-135A
- Registration
- KC135
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 4
- Operator
- Usaf
- Operating rule
- Unknown
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Phoenix → Phoenix
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- Unk
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX82AA106
People
6 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE USAF KC-135 WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN & EXECUTING A TACAN 3L APCH TO LUKE AFB. THE AA-1 HAD DEPARTED SKY HARBOUR ARPT &HAD BEEN RELEASED BY PHOENIX TRSA. THE AA-1 WAS HEADING WESTERLY IN AIRSPACE DESIGNATED AS A SPECIAL TRAFFIC AREA & WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE BEEN AT OR BELOW 2,000 FT MSL. A PLT OF ANOTHER ACFT WHO WAS TRAILING THE AA-1 STATED THAT A LOW BROKENCLOUD COVER WAS ENCOUNTERED & HE HAD TO DESCEND TO ABOUT 2,000 FT TO REMAIN 500 FT BELOW THE BASES. HE STATED THE PLT OFTHE AA-1 DID NOT DESCEND BUT APPEARED TO BE SKIMMING ALONG IN & OUT OF THE BASES OF THE CLOUDS. HE NOTICED THE KC-135 DESCENDING THROUGH THE CLOUD DECK FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE COLLISION. THE COLLISION OCCURRED ABOUT 5 MI SOUTH OF LUKE AFB AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2,500 FT MSL. THE LOGBOOK OF THE AA-1 PLT INDICATES THIS WAS HIS FIRST TRIP TO THE PHOENIX AREA. LUKE AFB WAS DEPICTED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SECTIONAL CHART ONLY. VOR AIRWAY #16 WAS SPLIT ALONG AN E-W LINE WITH THE NORTHERN & SOUTHERN HALVES BEING DEPICTED ON EACH SIDE OF THE CHART.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing KC-135A KC-135A | KC135 | Usaf | Destroyed |
| American Yankee AA-1 AA-1 | N6160L | James D. Breshears | Destroyed |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Mar 1982 | Cessna 150G | Tucson, Arizona, United States | David G. Lepo | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 1982 | Beechcraft 58 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | Valley National Bank | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Mar 1982 | Hatz CB-1 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | R A Chaney JR | No injuries | - |
| 14 Dec 1982 | Beechcraft K35 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | Kerley Chemical Corp. | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Nov 1982 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | RRT Investments, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 25 Dec 1982 | Mooney M20A | Gila Bend, Arizona, United States | George Wesley Epps, JR. | Serious injuries | - |