Cal Fire released the pilot’s name who was killed in an air tanker crash in Yosemite National Park Tuesday, reports KFSN-TV.
He was Geoffrey “Craig” Hunt, 62, of San Jose. Hunt had been with Dyncorp International for 13 years. Dyncorp is under contract with Cal Fire.
Hunt, flying a Cal Fire S-2T air tanker, was battling the Dog Rock Fire burning in the park when officials lost contact with the plane around 4:30 p.m., Cal Fire spokesperson Daniel Berlant said. Emergency personnel had to work through “extremely difficult terrain” in order to reach the crash site.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB will be investigating the crash. Officials from both agencies were expected to arrive Wednesday morning.
Tanker 81 was based out of Hollister Air Attack Base. The pilot was the only person on board the air tanker at the time of the crash.
The wildfire started around 2:45 p.m. at Dog Rock on El Portal Road between the park boundary and the Arch Rock Entrance Station. The National Park Service said the wildfire had burned 150 acres.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration firefighter fatality report, Geoffrey “Craig” Hunt was killed when his aircraft crashed while operating on the Dog Rock Fire near the Arch Rock entrance of Yosemite National Park. There were no other occupants in the aircraft and no injuries were reported among fire crews on the ground near where the aircraft came down. Investigation into the fatal incident continues by state and federal authorities.
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