What happened
On July 10, 2021, at approximately 12:54 MST, a Beech C-90 bearing registration N3688P crashed in the mountainous desert region near Wikieup, Arizona. The aircraft was operating as a public-use firefighting asset, providing aerial supervision and reconnaissance for the Bureau of Land Management during the Cedar Basin fire. Prior to the accident, the aircraft had been active in the area for roughly 45 minutes, performing several orbits at an altitude of approximately 2,500 feet above ground level.
Telemetry from ADS-B indicated that the aircraft was in a descent at a speed of 151 knots and an altitude of 2,300 feet above ground level, positioned about 805 feet east-southeast of the crash site, just before the event. No emergency communications were transmitted by the crew. An eyewitness reported seeing the aircraft enter a steep dive toward the terrain. The aircraft subsequently struck a ridgeline, resulting in a post-crash fire that consumed much of the primary wreckage. Debris from the impact was spread across several acres. One observer noted that the left wing separated from the aircraft outboard of the nacelle and landed approximately 0.79 miles northeast of the main wreckage site without being affected by the fire.
Findings
- The aircraft was engaged in aerial reconnaissance for the Bureau of Land Management.
- The aircraft was in a descent at the time of the final recorded ADS-B data point.
- The aircraft entered a steep dive prior to impacting the ridgeline.
- There were 2 fatalities involving the pilot and the Air Tactical Group supervisor.