Cause of Air Tanker Crash Determined
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The fatal crash of a firefighting air tanker last year in Northern California was caused when the plane’s left wingtip struck rugged mountainous terrain during a training mission, not by any structural defects or mechanical error, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined.
The plane, a P-3B Orion air tanker operated by Aero Union Corp., crashed after a practice drop of water north of the Chico airport on April 20, 2005. Three crew members died.
The plane was on its 10th flight of the day, preparing pilots for the summer fire season. Witnesses reported seeing a fireball at the time of the accident.
The four-engine plane was manufactured by Lockheed in 1966 for the Navy. Aero Union purchased the plane in 1997 and converted it to an air tanker.
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