Pilot Geoffrey "Craig" Hunt, 62, crashes air tanker while fighting wildfires near Yosemite National Park, along 1-40

Modified Date: 
Thu, 10/16/2014 - 6:51pm
Accident Date: 
Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Bay Area pilot dies in air tanker crash near Yosemite

Officials are still trying to notify the pilot's next of kin - who are out of state. He leaves behind a wife and children. CAL FIRE says it has now secured the crash site and will be cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board on the investigation.

Air tanker crashes while fighting California fire

It was unclear if the pilot was flying to or from the fire or was in the process of dropping retardant.

California grounds air tankers after deadly crash

It was not clear how long the planes would be out of service.

Pilot killed in Calfire air tanker crash was from San Jose

Hunt was a 13-year veteran pilot of DynCorp International under contract with Calfire.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/10/08/6770540/pilot-killed-in-calfire-air-tanker.html#mi_rss=Our%20Region#storylink=cpy

Wing may have hit tree in deadly air tanker crash

The wing of a firefighting aircraft might have hit a tree and broken off before the tanker crashed into a canyon wall in Yosemite National Park, killing the pilot, federal investigators said Wednesday.

California grounds air tankers after deadly crash

The agency normally does such a safety stand-down after a crash, State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Alyssa Smith said

NTSB: Air tanker possibly hit tree before crash in Yosemite

Authorities previously said the aircraft's left wing was found at the beginning of a roughly quarter-mile-long debris field.  

Correction: California Wildfire-Plane Crash story

reported erroneously that the aircraft was manufactured in 2001. It was built in the 1950s as an anti-submarine plane, retrofitted in the 1970s to fight fires and then rebuilt in 2001.
Geoffrey "Craig” Hunt, 62, a bay area air tanker pilot crashed into a canyon wall on the edge of Yosemite National Park while fighting a wildfire. He was the only person inside the plane. The incident occured near route 1-40, leading towards Yosemite, on Tuesday, October 7, 2014. All of Cal Fire's 23 air tankers were ordered to the ground for inspections until at least Wednesday.
People Involved: 
Geoffrey "Craig" Hunt
Roadway: 
1-40

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