Witnesses Say Plane Lost Part Of Wing Or Engine

A vintage firebomber heading to fight a wildfire near South Lake Tahoe, CA crashed shortly after takeoff from Reno Stead Airport (4SD) Monday night, killing the three-person flight crew.

The Reno Gazette Journal reports the Lockheed P2V tanker (similar to type shown below) crashed at 6:09 pm Pacific Daylight Time, just off the departure end of the runway. The plane was on site fighting the Burnside Fire in Hope Valley, south of Lake Tahoe.

"They had been working earlier in the day and were going back for one more drop," said Reno Fire Department spokesman Steve Frady.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor told the paper witness statements indicate the plane may have suffered the in-flight separation of part of its wing or one of its engines. One witness told KOLO-8 in Reno the plane's left wing and engine was on fire before the P2V impacted a field of sage brush, sparking a small fire.

The aircraft carried a full load of fuel and fire retardant, officials said.

Investigators are now on scene. Assistant Washoe County Sheriff Marshall Emerson told reporters Monday evening "nobody is making any speculations on what possibly caused the crash."

The aircraft was operated by Missoula, MT-based Neptune Aviation Services. The company operated 11 planes on contract, according to a statement on the Neptune Web site.

The identities of the plane's crew have not been released, pending notification of family members.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 4235T        Make/Model: P2V       Description: LOCKHEED SP-2H P2V NEPTUNE
  Date: 09/02/2008     Time: 0111

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: RENO   State: NV   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE THREE PERSONS ON
  BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, RENO-STEAD, NV

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   3
                 # Crew:   3     Fat:   3     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Public Use      Phase: Take-off      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: RENO, NV  (WP11)                      Entry date: 09/02/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.neptuneaviation.com/