What happened
On the afternoon of September 10, 1987, at roughly 3:00 p.m., Black Hills Aviation received a request from the Army to assist with aerial firefighting efforts following a fire triggered by a FAADS missile. In response to this request, a P2V aircraft, identified by registration N962 None (Forest Service Number N96271), was deployed for fire suppression duties. The crew of the aircraft, known as Tanker 07, consisted of two pilots employed by Black Hills Aviation.
Prior to the accident, the flight crew received permission from the missile range air controller to enter the restricted airspace associated with the missile range. While operating within the testing site for the FAADS Project, the aircraft crashed approximately fifteen miles inside the interior of the missile range. The impact resulted in two fatalities, as both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the accident.
Findings
An Army Regulation 15-6 investigation was conducted by Colonel Gary Epperson to examine the circumstances surrounding the event, specifically focusing on the actions taken by the Army. This investigation involved reviewing the crash site, interviewing witnesses, and collecting written statements. The scope of this inquiry was limited to Army activities and did not attempt to establish the specific cause of the crash. While the NTSB was notified of the accident, they declined to launch an investigation unless formally requested by the missile range authorities, and no formal investigation was ultimately carried out by the NTSB or the Army Safety Center.