Paper: Pilot Error Behind 2005 P-3 Accident | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.20.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.28.24

Airborne-FlightTraining-05.29.24 Airborne-Unlimited-05.30.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.24.24

Tue, Aug 01, 2006

Paper: Pilot Error Behind 2005 P-3 Accident

Investigation Says Airframe Not To Blame

It wasn't an airframe problem that brought down a firefighting P-3 Orion in California last year... it was pilot error. That's the conclusion of an investigation by the San Mateo County Times... whose reporters talked with industry experts, pilots, and aviation consultants.

As Aero-News reported, the aircraft (file photo of type, above) went down in April of last year while on a training mission near Chico. The paper's investigation indicates Aero-Union Tanker 26 was flying down the middle of a valley when it strayed east.

Experts consulted by the newspaper say it appears to have been a case of controlled flight into terrain... an assertion they back up with Navy radar data showing the Orion's flight track.

No one's sure which of the three men killed in the crash was flying the plane -- Brian Bruns, Paul Cockrell, or Tom Lynch -- was actually in command of the aircraft when it went down, and the crew issued no distress call.

The Orion wasn't equipped with any sort of flight recorder.

The official NTSB finding of probable cause is still months away. But if the board does cite pulot error as the cause of this crash... it would clear Aero-Union's aging fleet of P-3s... which make up about half the country's entire firefighting tanker fleet.

FMI: Read The NTSB Factual Report

Advertisement

More News

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.29.24)

Aero Linx: International Association of Professional Gyroplane Training (IAPGT) We are an Association of people who fly, build or regulate Gyroplanes, who have a dream of a single >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.29.24): NORDO (No Radio)

NORDO (No Radio) Aircraft that cannot or do not communicate by radio when radio communication is required are referred to as “NORDO.”>[...]

Airborne 05.28.24: Jump Plane Down, Starship's 4th, Vision Jet Problems

Also: uAvionix AV-Link, F-16 Viper Demo, TN National Guard, 'Staff the Towers' A Saturday afternoon jump run, originating from SkyDive Kansas City, went bad when it was reported th>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.30.24): Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS)

Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) The operation of a UAS beyond the visual capability of the flight crew members (i.e., remote pilot in command [RPIC], the person manipulating th>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC