GRANT COUNTY, Ore. – A BLM-contracted single-engine air tanker assisting with fires near Seneca, Oregon crashed Thursday night, killing the pilot.
That’s according to an update by KGW.
The tanker was assisting on a lightning start near the Falls Fire on the Malheur National Forest when it was reported missing.
KGW reports that Grant County Search and Rescue located the plane and the pilot’s body in a steep area of the woods near the Falls Fire. According to a preliminary report by the FAA, the aircraft crashed around 11:30 p.m. Thursday night and the pilot was the only occupant.
The cause of the crash is unknown, but it is currently being investigated by both the FAA and the NTSB.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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