Mcdonnell Douglas DC 10-10 accident near Tehachapi, California, June 26, 2007
On June 26, 2007, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC 10-10, registered N450AX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tehachapi, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The captain's failure to maintain clearance from trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2007
- Place
- Tehachapi, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC 10-10 · all DC 10-10s on the register
- Registration
- N450AX · no longer on the register · serial 46942
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The transport category airplane had been modified as a firefighting air tanker and was contracted to the State of California under an exclusive-use contract for the fire season. This was the second fire season for the operator, flight crew, and accident airplane. In order to facilitate the availability of the accident airplane, the contracting agency increased the personnel assigned to the program. Normal operational procedures required that a lead airplane fly the intended flight profile prior to the air tanker. The air tanker crew typically views the flight profile flown by the lead airplane, and then flies the profile while following the lead airplane. The lead airplane points out obstacles and general concerns along the flight path to the air tanker during that first flight. On the accident run, the original lead airplane with a pilot specifically trained for the DC-10 fire retardant drop procedures had switched out with a backup lead airplane and pilot in order to return to base for refueling purposes. The backup lead airplane flew the flight profile prior to the accident airplane joining the flight profile for the fire retardant drop. As the captain flew the profile, the accident airplane flew at a lower altitude than the lead airplane, entered a left turn, and impacted multiple trees with the left wing. The digital flight data recorder indicated that the airplane had entered a 35-degree left bank with a vertical acceleration from 0.8 to 1.4 G's, which is consistent with normal loading in a banked turn. Although the flight crew was experienced with the operation of the accident airplane, they had limited fire suppression experience. The operator provided training on the airplane and training in operating in the fire environment. The flight crew obtained the majority of their retardant drop experience (in excess of 100 hours using water for drops) during the certification testing for the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,100 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 10,100 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight Engineer
- Certificate: flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 7,200 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 674,442 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 1, 2007; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 400,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: General Electric CF6-6k (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: California Dept Of Forestry And Fire Protection
The flight
- Departed from: VCV Socal Logistics CA at 11:57 pm
- Destination: Tehachapi CA
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.