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NTSB to hold public meeting about fatal helicopter crash on Iron Complex fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , 3 Comments on NTSB to hold public meeting about fatal helicopter crash on Iron Complex fire

The National Transportation Safety Board is going to hold a public board meeting with only one thing on the agenda, the August 5, 2008 crash of the helicopter on the Iron Complex fire in northern California that killed nine firefighters. Their announcement about the meeting is HERE.

The meeting will be Tuesday, December 7, at 9:30 a.m., in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be available on the Board’s website at www.ntsb.gov.

The NTSB has already issued a “factual report” on the crash. We covered that HERE. The Sikorsky S-61N crashed on takeoff from a remote helispot in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Weaverville, California. The NTSB suggested in the factual report that Carson Helicopters understated the weight of its aircraft and kept spotty maintenance records; the company’s contract with the USFS was terminated following the accident.

The NTSB estimated that the actual empty weight of the helicopter was 13,845 pounds, while Carson Helicopters stated in their contract proposal that the weight was 12,013 pounds. For the purpose of load calculations on the day of the crash, the pilot assumed the weight to be 12,408 pounds, which was 1,437 pounds less than the actual weight estimated by the NTSB.

Killed in the crash were pilot Roark Schwanenberg, 54; pilot Jim Ramage, 63; Shawn Blazer, 30; Scott Charlson, 25; Matthew Hammer, 23; Edrik Gomez, 19; Bryan Rich, 29; David Steele, 19; and Steven “Caleb” Renno, 21. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation has a tribute page online [HERE].

USA Today writes about the fatal Iron Complex fire helicopter crash

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags

The USA Today newspaper has written an article about the crash of the helicopter on the Iron Complex fire in northern California in 2008 that killed nine firefighters. The headline calls it a “smokejumper crash”, but there were no smokejumpers on the helicopter operated by Carson Helicopters. The article contains little additional information that was not in our September 19, 2009 update about this crash.

Families of Iron 44 helicopter crash victims reportedly settle suits

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , ,

The Oregonian newspaper reports that seven of the families of the firefighters that were killed and three that were injured in the crash of the helicopter on the Iron 44 fire in 2008 have reached a tentative settlement in various lawsuits.

On August 5, 2008, a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter crashed as it was taking off from a helispot on the fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northern California. Nine were killed, including a pilot, a check pilot, and seven contract firefighters with Grayback Forestry.

An attorney representing some of the families said a tentative agreement has been reached with Carson Helicopters, Columbia Helicopters, and the U.S. Forest Service, but the dollar amount is still being finalized. No agreement has yet been reached with Sikorsky, the manufacturer of the helicopter, or General Electric, which built the engines.

The Oregonian reports that the families of Roark Schwanenberg, the pilot who died, and Jim Ramage, a Forest Service check pilot, as well as surviving pilot William Coultas, did not reach settlements with any of the five defendants.

A contributing factor in the crash may have been the weight of the helicopter as it attempted to take off from the helispot with the ten firefighters, tools, two pilots, and one check pilot. In their report, the National Transportation Safety Board estimated that the actual empty weight of the helicopter was 13,845 pounds, while Carson Helicopters stated in their contract proposal that the weight was 12,013 pounds. For the purpose of load calculations on the day of the crash, the pilot assumed the weight to be 12,408 pounds, which was 1,437 pounds less than the actual weight estimated by the NTSB. In addition, the manifest for that fatal flight calculated that the payload was 2,355 pounds, while the NTSB report estimated that the actual payload was 3,005, a difference of 650 pounds. So the actual total weight of the loaded helicopter as it attempted to take off from the helispot may have been 2,087 pounds heavier than anyone at the fire realized, according to data in the report.

After the crash, the U.S. Forest Service weighed the 10 Carson helicopters that were under contract. They found that seven of them were heavier than Carson had stated in their contract proposals, by an average of 490 pounds. The USFS later canceled their contract with Carson.

In 2009 Carson obtained a contract to supply seven Sikorsky S-61 helicopters to haul supplies for the U. S. military in Afghanistan. The company is partnering with a subsidiary of Blackwater Worldwide, which recently changed their name to “Xe”.

Killed on the Iron 44 incident were pilot Roark Schwanenberg, check pilot Jim Ramage, Shawn Blazer, Scott Charlson, Matthew Hammer, Edrik Gomez, Bryan Rich, David Steele, and Steven “Caleb” Renno. Injured were William Coultas, Richard Schroeder Jr., Jonathan Frohreich, and Michael Brown.

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation has a tribute page online [HERE] and CALFIRE has one [HERE].

Iron 44 Crash Report

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , ,

The Carson helicopter that crashed last year on the Iron 44 fire and killed nine firefighters was much heavier than U.S. Forest Service recommendations, according to National Transportation Safety Board reports. The NTSB said the weight was near maximum for vertical takeoff, requiring near-maximum engine power. So instead of climbing up on takeoff, the helicopter went forward, clipping trees before it crashed. Seven contract firefighters, the pilot, and a USFS inspector pilot were killed; four others survived.

On August 5, 2008, the Sikorsky S-61N crashed on takeoff from a remote site in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Weaverville, California. The NTSB is suggesting that Carson Helicopters understated the weight of its aircraft and kept spotty maintenance records; the company’s contract with the USFS was terminated last fall.

The NTSB estimated that the actual empty weight of the helicopter was 13,845 pounds, while Carson Helicopters stated in their contract proposal that the weight was 12,013 pounds. For the purpose of load calculations on the day of the crash, the pilot assumed the weight to be 12,408 pounds, which was 1,437 pounds less than the actual weight estimated by the NTSB.

The Oregonian reports that Carson, on the other hand, accuses investigators of neglecting critical facts in a rush to judgment. They say the NTSB used bad data in calculating the weather’s effect on helicopter performance, and that investigators extrapolated the temperature at 73ºF. at the site. Voice recordings from the co-pilot indicate the temperature was actually 68ºF.

Carson says the NTSB is trying to support a “preconceived conclusion” by using the higher temp in its calculations, and they also argue that the NTSB should have examined whether malfunctioning fuel control units caused the crash.

Killed on the incident were pilot Roark Schwanenberg, 54; pilot Jim Ramage, 63; Shawn Blazer, 30; Scott Charlson, 25; Matthew Hammer, 23; Edrik Gomez, 19; Bryan Rich, 29; David Steele, 19; and Steven “Caleb” Renno, 21.

Thanks, Dick

Year in Review: Wildland fire fatalities in 2008

Author BillPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags

We all know that wildland firefighting can be a dangerous occupation, and 2008 was no exception. From posts on Wildfire Today, we have assembled a list of wildland firefighters who died in the line of duty, primarily in the United States, along with some of the civilians who perished in wildland fires. This is probably not a complete list and if you know of any we missed, please let us know. We grieve for all of the families of those who passed away this year.

Only excerpts of the articles are posted below. For more details, click on the links.

On December 30, 31, and January 1 we will have a summary of the top wildland fire stories of 2008.

March 9
7 Firefighters Die on Forest Fire in Honduras
From a story at eitb in Spain:

The firefighters, four soldiers and three forestry workers, were part of a 200-strong team battling to contain the fire on a mountainside close to Tegucigalpa since Friday. Seven firefighters died in Honduras on Sunday overwhelmed by a raging forest blaze on the outskirts of the capital, the military said. They were working to put out the fire and suddenly there was a change of wind direction and they were engulfed by flames, Gen. Orlando Vasquez told local radio. Honduras is at the start of its summer and forest fires at common at this time.”

March 10
Fire Captain dies from parasite inhaled while fighting fire.
MURRIETA, California — Murrieta Fire Capt. Matt Moore died Monday night at UCSD Medical Center in San Diego, succumbing to complications from meningitis, fire department officials said. Moore, 43, a 17-year veteran of the department, had been hospitalized in a coma for the last two weeks.

He had been in various hospitals since November battling an aggressive form of meningitis. It is believed Moore inhaled a parasite while fighting the region’s wildfires late last year. The parasite reportedly caused swelling in his brain.

April 15
Three deaths in Colorado on same day.
From the Colorado State Fire Chief’s Association:

“It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to you to inform you of the line-of-duty death of three firefighting personnel while serving and protecting the citizens of Colorado.

Fire Chief Terry DeVore and firefighter John Schwartz, Jr. of the Olney Springs Volunteer Fire Department were killed late yesterday afternoon while fighting the Ordway wildland fire. Chief DeVore and firefighter Schwartz were killed in their fire apparatus while trying to cross a bridge over a drainage ditch about a mile west of Ordway. Due to heavy smoke conditions they were apparently unaware that the fire had already damaged or collapsed the bridge.

Gert Marais, 42, of Fort Benton, Montana, a U.S. Forest Service contract pilot was killed when his Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) crashed while fighting the wildland fire at Fort Carson. Pilot Marais crashed about 6:20 yesterday evening along Colorado 115 at mile marker 34 near Fort Carson. Marais worked for Aero Applicators, a Sterling company that contracts aerial firefighting services to the U.S. Forest Service.”

UPDATE, December 30, 2008
The NTSB has released their report about the air tanker crash. More information is HERE.

June 29
Two helicopters collide, one firefighter killed.
Two medical helicopters collided in Flagstaff, Arizona on Sunday while trying to land at the same hospital, killing six. One of them was a wildland firefighter that had been working on a fire in Grand Canyon National Park.

From the National Park Service Morning Report:

Firefighter Michael MacDonald was tragically killed in a private medical helicopter collision while being transported from the Grand Canyon to a northern Arizona hospital for a medical condition not directly related to firefighting on Sunday, June 29th. Six people, including MacDonald, were killed in the collision of two medical helicopters near Flagstaff Medical Center.

MacDonald, 26, was a member of the Chief Mountain Hot Shots, an elite Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded Native American firefighting crew based on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana. The crew was assigned to the Walla Valley Fire on the North Rim. The Chief Mountain Hot Shot crew will be released from the incident today to travel home.

July 3
California volunteer firefighter dies
UKIAH, Calif.—A volunteer firefighter has died after collapsing while battling a blaze in Mendocino County. The Anderson Valley Fire Department says 63-year-old Robert Roland died at the Ukiah Valley Medical Center on Thursday morning. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but department volunteer Dawn Ballantine says Roland’s death was likely heart-related.

July 11
Body found in burned house in Butte County, CA
A burned body was found in the remains of a house that burned in the BTU (or Butte County) complex in an evacuated section of Concow, California. According to a press release issued by the Butte County Sheriff’s office, a deputy sheriff found the body at 10 a.m. on Friday while doing a search of the structures that had burned. The house had been the residence of someone named in a missing person report. The Sheriffs office said 40 homes were destroyed in the neighborhood where the body was found. An autopsy will be conducted this weekend to attempt to identify the body using DNA or fingerprints.

(Wildfire Today was unable to determine the results of the autopsy or the name of the victim.)

July 25
NPS firefighter killed by falling tree
Andrew Palmer, a National Park Service firefighter, was killed Friday when he was struck by a falling tree while fighting a fire on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northern California. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and co-workers.

REDDING, Calif. — A Port Angeles, Wash., firefighter was killed Friday afternoon fighting a fire in northern California. Andrew Palmer, 18, was an Olympic National Park Service firefighter assigned to the Iron Complex of fires on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Mike Odle, of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, said Palmer “suffered injuries from what sounds like an incident with a tree.” Investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding Palmer’s death.

(Wildfire Today has learned that as of December, 2008, the investigation is still going on, and it includes the participation of law enforcement officers. We may be hearing quite a bit more about this.)

July 26
Firefighter entrapped and killed on Panther fire.
Daniel Bruce Packer, 49, of Lake Tapps, Wash., died while working on the Panther fire
about 15 miles south of H
appy Camp in southwestern Siskiyou County. The U.S. Forest Service reported the death Saturday, but the fire’s intensity and limited visibility kept crews from recovering or positively identifying Packer’s body until Sunday, sheriff’s dispatcher Dennis Moser said today.

A Forest Service ground team lead by a Siskiyou County sheriff’s deputy was able to reach the site by 6 p.m. Sunday, sheriff’s spokeswoman Susan Gravenkamp said that evening. A ground team was expected to carry Packer’s body from the fire area to the nearest road, a job estimated to take three hours, she said Sunday.

August 8
Helicopter crash kills nine.
Nine firefighters and pilots were killed when a helicopter crashed while attempting to take off from a helispot on the Buckhorn fire in northern California. Killed were:

Shawn Blazer, 30, Medford, Ore.
Scott Charleson, 25, Phoenix, Ore.
Matthew Hammer, 23, Grants Pass, Ore.
Edrik Gomez, 19, Ashland, Ore.
Bryan Rich, 29, Medford, Ore.
David Steele, 19, Ashland, Ore.
Roark Schwanenberg, 54, Carson pilot, Lostine, Ore.
Jim Ramage, 64, USFS Check Pilot, Redding, CA
Stephen Renno, 21, Cave Junction

August 21
North Carolina: firefighter dies in fall from cliff
A North Carolina Forest Service firefighter who fell off a cliff at Big Bradley Falls and died has been identified as Curtis Jessen, the division’s assistant district forester in Asheville. Jessen suffered critical injuries after falling from the Big Bradley Falls near Saluda. Medical personnel pronounced Jessen dead a short time later.

August 26
Resident dies in home during fire in Boise
The Oregon Trail fire in Boise killed Mary Ellen Ryder and destroyed 10 houses. Ryder’s body was found in the remains of her burned home.

September 1
Air tanker crashes, crew of three dies.
Air Tanker 09, operated by Neptune Aviation Services, crashed shortly after taking off at Stead, Nevada. Killed were the three crew members, Gene Wahlstrom, Greg Gonsioroski, and Zachary Vander Griend.

September 17
Contract firefighter dies following road grader accident
A 77-year-old Happy Camp man has died from injuries suffered while serving as a contract firefighter in Siskiyou County, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman said Tuesday.

Hillman, a member of the Karuk tribe, was operating a grader to improve road conditions and access for firefighters. They were working the Siskiyou and Blue 2 Complex of fires when Hillman was injured Aug. 25, public information officer Mike Ferris said.

Oct. 1
Corrections officer dies on Arizona fire
From the Arizona Capitol Times:

A corrections officer working with an inmate hotshot crew died Oct. 1, shortly after the crew began working to contain a fire near Lake Havasu City, according the Arizona Department of Corrections.

The officer, Douglas Falconer, 46, apparently died of natural causes, the agency said in a statement released Oct. 2. No more details were available.

October 26
Aussie firefighter killed by falling tree.
The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service has released information about a firefighter fatality. Bryce Laut died while fighting a fire in Kumbatine National Park near Kempsey. According to a release from the agency, he was killed when a ” burnt-out tree fell directly onto Bryce”.

Memorial service in Medford; more information

Author BillPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , ,

A memorial service was held in Medford, Oregon yesterday for the 9 firefighters that died in the helicopter crash on August 5 while working on the Iron 44 fire.

HERE is a gallery of photos taken at the service. You need to see these photos.

Here is a link to a slide show/video of the service, put together by Shari and Ken Downhill of Northwest Timber Fallers.

The Mail Tribune has a video about the service.

An excerpt from a Mail Tribune article:

Friday’s tribute began with a procession of some 30 fire trucks representing firefighting companies and agencies from around the West. Leading the procession was seven black vehicles carrying family members.

Grayback firefighters lined each side of the road as the procession entered the fairgrounds under crossed fire ladders. The Grayback crews, all in gray company T-shirts, forest green Nomax pants and boots, then marched solemnly into the amphitheater for the memorial. Most were young men but there was also a sprinkling of young women.

With the families of the fallen sitting up front, the memorial opened with a police honor guard and a bagpipe-and-drum corps. Later, just as the Northwest Regional Fire Pipes and Drums was completing “Amazing Grace,” a spotter plane followed by an air tanker roared overhead to honor those killed in the crash. Another air tanker followed, symbolically dropping nine streamers traditionally used to determine wind direction over a fire.

Surviving members of the Grayback crew, including Schroeder, who is wearing a chin brace, presented the families of those who died with American flags, chromed Pulaskis — a combined ax and hoe that is the favored tool of wildland firefighters — and polished red hard hats for the firefighters. The families of the pilots received shiny white flight helmets.

Closing out the ceremony was a Grayback firefighter who rang the fire bell 15 times in a series of five rings each, a historical way of letting other firefighters know one of their own has fallen.

In addition to Catherine Renno, others speaking at the memorial included U.S. Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell, State Forester Marvin Brown, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, Grayback President Mike Wheelock, Carson Executive Vice President Steve Metheny and Tom Harbour, director of fire and aviation management for the U.S. Forest Service. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski was in attendance.

“It is an unhappy truth that firefighters’ memorial services are always about the passing of the very best men and women our society can produce,” Metheny said. “And these men are proof of that truth.”

Many in the crowd began weeping when former smoke jumper Wheelock spoke.

“To the families, I am so sorry we did not bring your loved ones home,” he said, his voice breaking. “Families and firefighters, we will never, never forget the firefighters that were injured or lost their lives on Iron 44.”

During her presentation, Renno, whose husband, Bruce LeMay, offered a prayer for those killed or injured in the crash as well as others who have died in service to fellow citizens or the nation, said they have had some tough days since the crash.

“It was a comfort to my heart to learn, by talking to some of the guys that made it, that they weren’t tired and worn out as they got onto the helicopter,” she said. “They were pretty jazzed. They were pretty happy because they had held the line. That does our hearts good to know that, that our sons on their last day held the line.”

Photo courtesy of Mail Tribune