Sad news.

Aero Union tanker crashes: Three crew members believed to be dead

By LAURA URSENY - Staff Writer

Three crew members of an Aero Union air tanker are believed dead after their
plane crashed Wednesday evening in a remote area of Tehama County during a
training mission.

A Lassen National Forest spokeswoman confirmed there were three aboard the
air tanker, which was on a training mission in the Brushy Mountain area of
the Ishi Wilderness.

Assistant Public Affairs Officer Leona Rodreick said there "is no
confirmation of survivors."

Aero Union President Terry Unsworth told the Enterprise-Record Wednesday
night the plane had crashed.

"We believe the aircraft is a total loss," Unsworth said.

Search and rescue units were trying to reach the aircraft, Unsworth said,
but declined to say more other than to confirm an investigation by the
National Transportation Safety Board will follow.

California Highway Patrol officials confirmed the plane was destroyed,
according to Janet Marshall, information officer for Butte County Fire/CDF.
Marshall said her agency had begun getting calls from Cohasset residents who
reported seeing a fireball in the sky before 7 p.m.

Lassen National Forest's Rodreick said there were no roads near the
mountainous crash site and that search and rescue units were making their
way to it. A helipad had been set up a few miles away, she said, and a
two-acre fire caused by the crash was burning but not expected to spread.

"The information is sketchy at this time," she said around 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday.

Rodreick said the reason behind the crash was unknown, but noted it was a
training mission.

The crash could have far-reaching implications for the nation's firefighting
force, which last year was grounded after the federal government canceled
contracts over safety concerns of the aging aircraft.

Chico-based Aero Union was the first of the nation's air tanker companies to
have its U.S. Forest Service contracts reinstated last year after its eight
P-3s cleared safety evaluations.

One of Aero Union's divisions converts military aircraft into retardant- or
water-carrying aircraft, leasing them for U.S. government use and selling
them to foreign governments as well.

This year, Aero Union already had aircraft in the air with current Forest
Service contracts, working in Arkansas and Kentucky.

Aero Union expected all of its eight P-3s to be leased by the Forest Service
this fire season, and was concluding pilot training missions this week,
Unsworth told the E-R last week.


--
Darryl Gibbs
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