Lockheed P2V-7 accident near Modena, Utah, June 3, 2012
On June 3, 2012 at about 7:47 pm local time, a Lockheed P2V-7, registered N14447, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Modena, Utah (Cedar City Regional Airport). It was a public-use flight (federal) under public-use (government) rules. 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's misjudgment of terrain clearance while maneuvering for an aerial application run, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew's failure to follow the lead airplane's track and to effectively compensate for the tailwind condition while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2012 · about 7:47 pm local time
- Place
- Modena, Utah · Cedar City Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed P2V-7 · all P2V-7s on the register
- Registration
- N14447 · no longer on the register · serial 8010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (federal) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Tanker 11 departed the tanker base to conduct its second fire retardant drop of the day in the same location. Upon arriving in the fire traffic area, Tanker 11 followed the lead airplane into the drop zone, which was located in a shallow valley 0.4 mile wide and 350 feet deep. The lead airplane flew a shallow right turn onto final and then dropped to an altitude of 150 feet above the valley floor while approaching the intended drop zone. While making the right turn onto final behind the lead airplane, Tanker 11's right wing tip collided with terrain, which resulted in a rapid right yaw and subsequent impact with terrain. The wreckage created a 1,088-foot-long debris field, and a postimpact fire ensued. Two witnesses took photographs of the accident sequence photos, and an examination of these photographs showed that the lead airplane was positioned ahead of the tanker throughout the flight; however, the orientation of the lead airplane compared to the orientation of Tanker 11 indicated that Tanker 11 did not directly follow the lead airplane's path to the final drop course. Rather, it was about 700 feet left of the lead airplane's path and made a wider right turn as it attempted to align with the final drop course. The accident flight crewmembers had previously flown nearly the same exact drop and the lead pilot cautioned them about tailwind conditions during the flight; however, the wider turn suggests that they did not properly compensate for the wind conditions while maneuvering. In addition, the previous flight was conducted at an altitude above the ridgeline. GPS evidence indicates that the accident flight was conducted below the ridgeline, which would have made it more difficult to detect the rising terrain during the wider turn. A review of the airplane's cockpit voice recorder audio information revealed that the flight crew did not recognize or attempt to correct the reduced clearance between Tanker 11 and the rising terrain until about 2 seconds before impact.
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
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Flight crew
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,145 hours in all; 1,850 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 20, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,288 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 5, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,313 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 9, 2012; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 767,925 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Wright R3350-32WA (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Wright R3350-32WA (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: Westinghouse J34-WE-36A (turbojet); 227 hours total
- Engine 4: Westinghouse J34-WE-36A (turbojet); 247 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Neptune Aviation Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: KCDC Cedar City UT at 7:15 pm
- Destination: KCDC Cedar City UT
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from KCDC, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR12GA243.