At least these pilots survived this close call.
Posted on 07/17/2007 11:51:02 AM PDT by skeptoid
NTSB Prelim Confirms Firefighting DC-10 Struck Trees Tue, 17 Jul '07
Pilot Landed Aircraft Safely, Crew Not Injured A National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report released Sunday confirmed a DC-10 firebomber, operated for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CalFire) was damaged last month during a retardant drop on a brush fire near Tehachapi.
"The flight crew was on their third flight of the day and preparing to jettison a load of retardant," the NTSB report says. "While in a left turn from base to final for the drop, the left wing dipped downward and impacted several trees."
As ANN reported, the aircraft sustained damage to the leading edge of the left wing, and to control surfaces including the aileron.
The odd part is the crew didn't even realize they'd brushed the trees. According to San Diego KGTV-10 News, the plane's crew did not feel the trees strike the wing, but an observer on the ground saw lumber splinter and immediately notified the pilots on the radio.
After impact, the pilot climbed to 11,000 feet for a controllability check. "The crew declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport... where they landed uneventfully," said the report.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise said the DC-10 is out of service for repairs for at least another week following the close-call June 25.
Rick Hatton, one of the aircraft's owners, told reporters the left engine itself was not damaged. "That was pretty lucky, because it hangs down of the left wing and there was damage to either side of it," he said.
Cal Fire Chief Mike Padilla said he is reviewing all DC-10 air operational plans, and the agency is conducting its own investigation.
"We're looking at everything from the weather, turbulence, on that date to our procedures for lining up the aircraft and how the pilots are perceiving the drop," he said.
Padilla said even experienced pilots can often be fooled by mountain topography. "We've had several tree strikes this year."
The DC-10's flight crew has had to undergo air-tanker operations refresher training for as a result of their mishap.
FMI: Read The NTSB Prelim, www.fire.ca.gov Portions Copyright © 1999-2007 by Aero-News Network, Inc. All rights reserved.
Cal Fire is the California Dept. of Forestry & Fire Protection.
Clipping trees with a DC-10—that’s cutting it reeeaally close.
The odd part is the crew didn’t even realize they’d brushed the trees. According to San Diego KGTV-10 News, the plane’s crew did not feel the trees strike the wing, but an observer on the ground saw lumber splinter and immediately notified the pilots on the radio.
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‘’ Yaaa. You better pull up a little bit there,, it’s raining timber down here. ‘’
If they can handle harsh atmospheric conditions, they can handle a little lumber too but this was a little close for comfort....
At least these pilots survived this close call.
Hopefully that was after they had changed their underwear.
the plane’s crew did not feel the trees strike the wing,...didn't the plane strike the trees?
The pilot should be un-puckered by sometime in November.
I can’t imagine flying that big boy that close to stuff.
Actually this would make a great commercial for MDC...if it was still around. I worked with a great group of engineers there before Boeing gobbled it up and I know they would be proud that their designs are holding up so well.
Yup, nothing like flying in turbulent weather and sitting on the wing rows and watching the wings bend and the overhead trays sway as the cabin bounces along ,, DC10 or L1011 or 747, and not spilling a drop.
Good Job to you and the design crew. ;-]
It took the NTSB a whole month to figure out that this plane hit the trees, yet it took less than two hours for the NTSB to determine that the Flt. 587 crash was due to a mechanical problem.
Things that make you go, “Hmmmmm.....”
Yep, this is the first time I’ve heard of a DC-10 hitting trees... and the crew living to talk about it.
I love that movie!
The method of payment in the early 70s? Canned pork!
Those ol’ DC-10’s are pretty sturdy birds.
As long as the ground crew screwed the engines on tight enough.
Supertanker Update The Evergreen Supertanker has completed its development program and achieved several major milestones in 2006. On October 27 the B747 Supertanker received its FAA STC (Supplemental Type Certificate). The aircraft also received its Part 137 (Agricultural Aircraft Operations) certification on November 6, 2006.
The Supertanker is pretty sophisticated, and it seems they've done a test progrqam and produced and ops manual.
See Evergreen's FAQ page.
Seat-of-the-pants is not acceptable proceure with this kind of wing loading (IMHO). The DC 10 crew DID NOT KNOW they had struck trees until the observer told them they had indeed done so.
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