SENECA, Oregon — A BLM-contracted single engine air tanker helping fight a wildfire in eastern Oregon crashed Thursday evening, killing the pilot on board.
The air tanker was "assisting on a lightning start in the vicinity of the Falls Fire" Thursday evening, according to a post Friday morning on the official Facebook page for the Falls and Telephone fires.
The FAA said the the plane crashed near Seneca, about 25 miles south of John Day, around 11:30 p.m. Thursday. Grant County Search and Rescue found the plane and the pilot's body in the woods, in a steep area, near the Falls Fire.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek released a statement, saying she was mourning the pilot's life.
"On behalf of Oregon, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the firefighter’s family, loved ones, and fellow firefighters,” Governor Kotek said. “Firefighters in the field look out for one another. When harm falls on one, it is felt by all. I want to thank all those who were a part of the search efforts for the recovered SEAT, and everyone fighting fires right now. I have your back, and I will continue to deploy every available resource to aid you.”
Details are not yet available as to what lead up to the crash. The FAA is investigating.
The plane was reported missing around 6:53 p.m. on Thursday, confirmed Thomas Kyle-Milward, a spokesperson for Northwest Team 8. The single engine air tanker can carry 800 gallons of water or retardant, and is operated by a single pilot, Kyle-Milward said.
"They are focusing on flying lower to ground than commercial airlines do, so they are always aware of hazards whether that is trees, airlines, drones in the area other aircraft," said Lisa Clark, who works for the Bureau of Land Management. "They are having to pay attention to what they are doing on the ground, where they are putting their drops, the attention to detail is significant, it's a very high risk operation."
The plane was flown out of the Burns Municipal Airport.
Harney and the Grant County Sheriff's Office, along with Falls Fire personnel immediately, began a search. The National Guard also conducted an overnight search, but didn't find the air tanker.
On Friday, Grant County Search and Rescue joined the search, which resumed on the north side of the Falls Fire near the town of Seneca.
The Falls Fire started on July 10 and is believed to be human-caused, but is still under investigation. It has burned 141,927 acres and it's 55% contained, as of the morning of July 26.