Plane Went Down In Low Visibility Conditions

The fire season in the western United States started earlier than normal this year... and, sadly, has already claimed its first victim in the aviation community.

The pilot of an Air Tractor AT-602 water bomber died when his plane crashed east of Fort Carson, CO Tuesday night. US Forest Service spokesman Greg Goodland said the aircraft (a similar AT-802 is shown at right) impacted near a highway at 1814 MDT.

Few details about the circumstances of the accident are available, though visibility was extremely poor due to heavy smoke from a 2,000-acre forest fire in the area. The pilot had not been identified as of Wednesday morning.

KMGH-7 in Denver reports three large fires are now burning throughout Colorado, as high winds fuel conflagrations that ignited in dense, dry brush brought about by a wetter than normal winter, followed by dry conditions throughout March.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 602AA        Make/Model: AT6T      Description: AT-602
  Date: 04/16/2008     Time: 0023

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: COLORADO SPRINGS   State: CO   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT, DURING FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS, CRASHED, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD
  WAS FATALLY INJURED, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: COS SPECI 0036Z 21029G 34KT 10SM CLR 22/M17 A2957

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Aerial Application      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO  (NM03)                    Entry date: 04/16/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.fs.fed.us