IZEE, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — A pilot helping fight the Falls wildfire in eastern Oregon turned into an area with "visibility concerns" before his fatal crash, according to a preliminary investigation report from the National Transportation Safety Board, KGW reports.
The report doesn't identify why the pilot's plane veered toward an area with "Temporary Flight Restrictions," crashing into trees and leaving a debris path roughly 1,000-feet long.
James Bailey Maxwell, 74, was killed in the July 25 crash of the BLM-contracted single-engine air tanker (SEAT), which can carry 800 gallons of water or retardant.
Maxwell, an experienced pilot with approximately 24,000 hours of flight time, was helping fight wildfires near the Malheur National Forest.
The NTSB preliminary investigation report says Maxwell and another wildfire pilot were on their way to a third drop when Maxwell maneuvered away from a column of smoke near the northwestern corner of an active TFR area.
Read more on this story at KTVZ.com
