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CAL FIRE Tanker May Have Hit A Tree Before Crashing

  •  Bob Moffitt 
  •  Ed Joyce 
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 | Sacramento, CA
Photo / Craig Rose

Photographer Craig Rose took this shot of Cal Fire Air Tanker 81 during the Stevens Fire.

Photo / Craig Rose


The air tanker that crashed fighting the Dog Rock Fire near Yosemite last week may have hit a tree before it crashed. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says the crew of the aerial coordinator above the aerial firefight saw the wing separate from the plane before it crashed into a hillside near El Portal.  Geoffrey "Craig" Hunt of San Jose was flying the tanker and was killed in the crash.

According to the NTSB report, Hunt had made one drop of retardant on the fire that day and was following a lead plane on a second run when the crash occurred.

"Aerial firefighting is not simply flying from one airport to another. The wildland firefighting environment is a challenging one, both on the ground and in the air," said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of CAL FIRE. "We look forward to the final NTSB report to see if we can use the findings to help mitigate the inherent dangers of the job. We owe that to Craig, who traded his life in an effort to protect the lives of others."

Hunt was a veteran pilot with 13-years experience flying for Dyncorp International under contract with Cal Fire.

The tanker was dropping retardant on a fire in a steep canyon near Yosemite's west entrance.

Air crews reported that there was smoke in the area at the time of the crash, but visibility was good.  The crew of the lead plane reported not seeing the crash.

The crash is being investigated by the NTSB, Office of Aviation Safety, National Parks Service, U.S Forest Service, and CAL FIRE.

A final report likely will take months.


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  • Courtesy of Geoffrey "Craig" Hunt's Family / Cal Fire / Facebook

    Memorial Service Held For Pilot Killed In Crash During Dog Rock Fire

    Wednesday, October 22, 2014
    Firefighters and family members held a tribute Tuesday for the pilot who was killed in a crash during the Dog Rock Fire.

 wildfirentsbcal fireDog FireTanker CrashGeoffrey Craig Hunt

Bob Moffitt

Former Sacramento Region Reporter

Bob reported on all things northern California and Nevada. His coverage of police technology, local athletes, and the environment has won a regional Associated Press and several Edward R. Murrow awards.  Read Full Bio 

Ed Joyce

Former All Things Considered Anchor & Reporter

Ed Joyce is a former reporter and All Things Considered news anchor at Capital Public Radio. Ed is a veteran journalist with experience in a variety of news positions across all media platforms, including radio, television, web and print.   Read Full Bio 

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