C-130 declares emergency, crashes at Santa Barbara Airport

There are reports that the aircraft was a former air tanker

Bill Gabbert | Posted on August 26, 2019

C-130 crash landing Santa Barbara Airport

C-130 after a crash landing at Santa Barbara Airport at 10:13 p.m. August 25, 2019. Photo provided by @EliasonMike.

A privately owned C-130 made a crash landing in Southern California at Santa Barbara Airport Sunday night after declaring an emergency. It had earlier taken off from Santa Maria 47 miles northwest of Santa Barbara airport. All seven people on board escaped without serious injury. There was a fire after it came to a stop which was quickly extinguished by an airport crash rescue truck spraying foam.

CBS News reported that the Federal Aviation Administration said the plane experienced hydraulic problems shortly after departing from Santa Maria, bound for Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

C-130 after a crash landing at Santa Barbara Airport at 10:13 p.m. August 25, 2019. Photo provided by @EliasonMike.

FlightAware shows that the aircraft landed at Santa Barbara 16 minutes after taking off from Santa Maria.

Flight of N119TG from Santa Maria to Santa Barbara August 25, 2019. FlightAware.

There are reports that the aircraft was N119TG, serial number 57-520, which is registered to International Air Response out of Mesa, Arizona. In an earlier life 57-520 appears to have been Air Tanker 88, N138FF, operated by Hemet Valley Flying Service in Santa Rosa, California. A Google search for "Air Tanker 88, N138FF" produced many photos.

Air Tanker 88 at Hemet, California October 28, 1993. JD Davis Photo.

International Air Response's website says the company "… is a global provider of specialized aerial services. Founded in 1976, the company owns, maintains, and operates a large fleet of Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft." The site has a page dedicated to Aerial Firefighting : "C-130 Hercules equipped with RADS aerial firefighting system – The most versatile and effective large air tanker with proven results." The page has what must be a very old photo of Tanker 81 dropping retardant. Today CAL FIRE has S2 air tankers known as Tanker 81 and Tanker 88.