Lockheed SP-2H N14835

Summary

On 28 June 1998 at about 02:24 local time, a Lockheed SP-2H registered N14835 was involved in an accident near Reserve, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 June 1998 at 02:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Reserve, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

33.7005, -108.7608

Aircraft

Lockheed SP-2H

Registration

N14835

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Silver City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

FTW98GA286

2 people died.

Failure of the copilot to maintain both lateral and vertical clearance from the trees, and failure of the captain to provide adequate supervision of the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane had made a dry pass on the fire zone, then circled around to make a second pass and release its load of 2,450 gallons of retardant. According to witnesses, the airplane struck trees while in a nose low, right wing low attitude. Upon ground impact, the airplane exploded and burned. Investigation revealed no evidence of preimpact airframe, engine, propeller, or flight control failure/malfunction. The first officer, an initial attack trainee pilot, was in the left seat and the captain was in the right seat. Toxicology tests of the first officer indicated 0.031 ug/ml brompheniramine, 0.011 ug/ml chlorpheniramine in kidney fluid, and 0.142 brompheniramine, 0.072 chlorpheniramine in liver fluid. Both medications are over-the-counter antihistamines with sedative effects.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.