Kamloops - Kamloops

Crew was fighting a forest fire near Siwash Road, about 15 km south of Lytton. The bombing run required crossing the edge of a ravine in the side of the Fraser River canyon before descending on the fire located in the ravine. About 22 minutes after departure, Tanker 448 approached the ravine and struck trees. An unanticipated retardant drop occurred coincident with the tree strikes. Seconds later, Tanker 448 entered a left-hand spin and collided with terrain. A post-impact explosion and fire consumed much of the wreckage. A signal was not received from the on-board emergency locator transmitter; nor was it recovered. Both crew members were fatally injured.

Flight / Schedule

Kamloops - Kamloops

Aircraft

Convair CV-580

Registration

C-FKFY

MSN

129

Year of Manufacture

1953

Operator

Conair Aviation

Date

July 31, 2010 at 08:24 PM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Fire fighting

Flight Phase

Flight

Crash Site

Mountains

Crash Location

Lytton British Columbia

Region

North America • Canada

Coordinates

50.2463°, -121.5695°

Crash Cause

Human factor

Narrative Report

On July 31, 2010 at 08:24 PM, Kamloops - Kamloops experienced a crash involving Convair CV-580, operated by Conair Aviation, with the event recorded near Lytton British Columbia.

The flight was categorized as fire fighting and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Crew was fighting a forest fire near Siwash Road, about 15 km south of Lytton. The bombing run required crossing the edge of a ravine in the side of the Fraser River canyon before descending on the fire located in the ravine. About 22 minutes after departure, Tanker 448 approached the ravine and struck trees. An unanticipated retardant drop occurred coincident with the tree strikes. Seconds later, Tanker 448 entered a left-hand spin and collided with terrain. A post-impact explosion and fire consumed much of the wreckage. A signal was not received from the on-board emergency locator transmitter; nor was it recovered. Both crew members were fatally injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration C-FKFY, MSN 129, year of manufacture 1953.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 50.2463°, -121.5695°.

Fatalities

Total

2

Crew

2

Passengers

0

Other

0

Crash Summary

Crew was fighting a forest fire near Siwash Road, about 15 km south of Lytton. The bombing run required crossing the edge of a ravine in the side of the Fraser River canyon before descending on the fire located in the ravine. About 22 minutes after departure, Tanker 448 approached the ravine and struck trees. An unanticipated retardant drop occurred coincident with the tree strikes. Seconds later, Tanker 448 entered a left-hand spin and collided with terrain. A post-impact explosion and fire consumed much of the wreckage. A signal was not received from the on-board emergency locator transmitter; nor was it recovered. Both crew members were fatally injured.

Cause: Human factor

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

2

Passengers On Board

0

Estimated Survivors

0

Fatality Rate

100.0%

Known people on board: 2

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Kamloops - Kamloops

Operator

Conair Aviation

Flight Type

Fire fighting

Flight Phase

Flight

Crash Site

Mountains

Region / Country

North America • Canada

Aircraft Details

Aircraft

Convair CV-580

Registration

C-FKFY

MSN

129

Year of Manufacture

1953