NTSB releases Preliminary Report on air tanker runway overrun

P2 crash in Colorado
Tanker 44 off the runway. Photo: Cliff Grassmick

The National Transportation Safety Board has released their Preliminary Report about the P2V-5 air tanker that ran off the end of the runway while landing at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Colorado on June 26. It contains no surprises and confirmes the early reports about a hydraulic system failure on Tanker 44. Here is the complete narrative from the report.

On June 26, 2010, about 1300 mountain daylight time, a Lockheed P2V-5 airplane, N1386C, was substantially damaged during a landing roll overrun at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), in Broomfield, Colorado. The pilot and co-pilot were not injured. The airplane was registered to Neptune Aviation Services Inc., of Missoula, Montana, and operated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forestry Service, under an exclusive public-use firefighting contract. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed for the fire suppression flight. The local flight originated from BJC at 1150.

According to the pilot, following a “normal” retardant drop, the main hydraulic system failed. The airplane was configured for landing via emergency hydraulic pressure and an emergency declared. The pilot continued, that the landing was routine; however, when he attempted to stop the airplane using the emergency system brakes there was no response. The airplane rolled through a fence, went down an embankment,and came to rest nose down on a city street. The pilot and co-pilot were able to exit unassisted.

Updated on Jul 20 2010 3:14PM.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

One thought on “NTSB releases Preliminary Report on air tanker runway overrun”

  1. interesting. i wonder what the finial report will say. once NTSB is done is Neptune going to repair the damage and get T-44 back in the air for the rest of the season?

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