Both Crewmen On Board Fatally Injured in The Accident

A P-2V aerial tanker went down Sunday near the Utah/Nevada border, fatally injuring the pilot and first officer of the airplane.

The accident occurred in Iron County, UT. The crew was battling the White Rock wildfire, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The fire is burning on about 5,000 acres about 20 miles north Caliente, NV. Television station KLAS reports that, according to the Iron County, UT Sheriff's office, the plane went down in just across the Nevada state line in rocky terrain while approaching the fire. It carried 1,600 gallons of fuel and more than 2,000 gallons of fire retardant. The two pilots have been identified as Capt. Todd Neal Tompkins and FO Ronnie Edwin Chambless. Both men were from Boise, ID.

A second accident on the other side of the state resulted in damage to another firefighting aircraft, but the two crewmembers escaped without serious injury. In that instance, the crew was working on a fire near the Nevada/California border when a problem cropped up with the landing gear and the aircraft made a successful emergency landing near Minden.

ABC News reports that BLM spokesman Chris Hainefeld said the tanker which went down in Utah is owned by Neptune Aviation Services of Missoula, MT. (Pictured, Neptune Aviation P-2V file photo)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov