Sat, Sep 23, 2006
NTSB Says Pilot Probably Flying Too Low
When a CDF OV-10A Bronco
crashed near the Sequoia National Forest earlier this month,
department officials had no clue why.
The NTSB has released its preliminary report on the accident and
it says the pilot may have been flying too low.
VMC weather conditions prevailed when the pilot, on contract
with the CDF from DynCorp in McClellan, CA, departed VFR from
Porterville to assist a ground crew working in California's
Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest. Neither ATC nor CDF HQ
received any indication from the pilot of problems with the
aircraft.
In the days preceding the accident, CDF had been working three
separate fires in the area with both the OV-10 and aerial fire
tankers. The spotter aboard the accident aircraft, a CDF battalion
commander, was to coordinate with ground crews reporting the status
of previous fires and identify any new ones. The OV-10A was the
only aircraft flying over the area the day of the accident.
Witness reported seeing the aircraft flying between 400 and 600
feet over the trees as it proceeded north following the Bear Creek.
Another witness says he heard the engines revving just
before impact noises.
The aircraft hit 125 ft trees on an upslope in what NTSB
described as a box-like canyon.
The report concludes that CDF guidance specifically prohibits
operations below 500 ft AGL unless authorized. The accident pilot
had not received any such authorization the day of the crash.
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