Wreckage of tanker plane and body of pilot found in eastern Oregon; investigation ongoing

Search and rescue teams on Friday discovered the wreckage of a small tanker plane that went missing the night before while fighting fires in eastern Oregon.

The body of the pilot, whose name has not yet been released, was also discovered, said Lisa Clark, a spokeswoman for the US Forest Service.

Clark said the wreckage of the plane was in a steep wooded area north of the Falls Fire.

Firefighters and a search and rescue team from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of the pilot, the only person on board the plane, and brought it to John Day.

The cause of the crash is unknown. Clark said the National Transportation Safety Board will be involved in the investigation into the incident.

The area of ​​eastern Oregon where the pilot crashed is currently raging with several wildfires, including the 141,927-acre Falls megafire, the 9,000-acre Telephone fire and the 281-acre Whiskey fire. Due to the danger posed by the fires, the Malheur National Forest has been completely closed for the first time in its 116-year history.

Governor Tina Kotek expressed sadness over the first wildfire death in Oregon in 2024. “I mourn the lives lost battling the Falls Fire,” she said in a statement Friday night. “On behalf of Oregon, I want to express my deepest condolences to the firefighter’s family, his loved ones and his colleagues. Firefighters look out for each other on the job. When one is hurt, everyone feels it. I want to thank everyone involved in the search efforts… and everyone battling the fires right now. I stand behind you and will continue to use all available resources to help you.”

— Tatum Todd covers crime and public safety. Reach him at [email protected] or 503-221-4313.