July B-25 Multiple Airtanker Accidents 1960

Between July 22 and July 27, 1960, four B-25 airtankers ("borate bombers") were lost in accidents, killing all four air crews. 

On July 22, a B-25 owned by Aerial Services and piloted by James C. Armstrong and Charles A. Franco crashed during a retardant run on a fire burning on the Angeles National Forest in the Magic Mountain area. The plane crashed into a mountainside at about 4,500 foot elevation, one mile south of Ravenna, California.

Also on July 22, a B-25 crashed during a dry run over the Anthony Lakes Fire on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest south of La Grande, Oregon. The pilots, Elliott Corbett and Leroy Englert, were both killed in the crash. 

On July 26, a B-25 piloted by Jim Brehm and George Carey crashed after beginning its retardant run, from a height of 200-300 feet above the terrain. Both pilots were killed in the crash, which was located near Cabin Creek on the Okanogan National Forest, Washington.

On July 27, a B-25 crewed by Pat Hendricks, Pete Jeffrey, and Virgil Sanders crashed while on a retardant mission in the Hells Canyon area of the Payette National Forest, Idaho. 

Following these four crashes that resulted in nine deaths, the Forest Service decreased the maximum permissible load of retardant in B-25 aircraft from 1000 to 800 gallons.

Fixed Wing Incident or Accident, Fatality, Multi Incident Summary, Aviation