Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Walker Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grand Junction, Colorado 81501
Sunday, June 9, 2002 20:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed Grand Junction, Colorado (GJT) on fire assignment as a Forest Service lead airplane, to the Coal Seam Fire in Garfield County, Colorado, in the vicinity of Glenwood Springs. The pilot reported experiencing low-level wind shear and light, moderate, and severe turbulence from just after takeoff through arriving at the area of operation. Following a reconnaissance of the fire, the pilot reported climbing to approximately 5,000 feet agl (above ground level) to avoid the turbulence and wait for wind conditions to improve so that tanker operations (aircraft dropping fire suppressant chemicals on the wildfire) could begin. The pilot reported that wind conditions improved and tanker operations commenced. On conclusion of the tanker operations, the pilot returned to GJT. The pilot reported he was in the vicinity of the Book Cliffs, approximately 10 miles northeast of GJT, approximately 2,000 feet agl in a low power descent, and an airspeed of approximately 150-160 knots, when he encountered one significant event of severe turbulence. The pilot reported the winds were out of the southwest at 20 knots with gusts to 29 knots. The airplane continued to GJT and landed uneventfully. The aircraft damage was noted the following morning during a routine preflight inspection. An examination of the airplane showed the top skin of the airplane's left wing, between the fuselage and the left engine nacelle, was buckled. No other anomalies were found. The reported winds at GJT, 34 minutes prior to the event, were 180 degrees at 20 knots with gusts to 28 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions. A factor contributing to the accident was the terrain-induced turbulence.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/9/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2030 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Grand Junction |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81501 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 390721N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1083136W |
| Event Location Airport | WALKER FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GJT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 10 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 45 |
| Airport Elevation | 4858 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1956 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GJT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4858 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 20 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 28 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.55 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 8478 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12524 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA COMM CTR |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 10 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2240 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2002 3:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Salt Lake City, UT FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N123Z |
| NTSB Number | DEN02TA052 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 58P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TJ-211 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | USDA Forest Service |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3833 S. Development Avenue |
| Aircraft Owner City | Boise |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83705 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GJT |
| Departure City | Grand Junction |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 29 2002 10:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 29 |
| Runway Length | 10501 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |