Keystone Fire Air Tanker Accident Fatality 1982

A Grumman S-2A Tracker air tanker registered N416DF and flying under the callsign Tanker 96 crashed during fire suppression operations on the Keystone Fire southwest of Jamestown, California, on July 27, 1982. The fire was in California Department of Forestry (CDF, now CAL FIRE) protection area. T-96 took off from nearby Columbia Air Attack Base and was on final approach to drop on the fire when the aircraft struck a tree and crashed into terrain. The fire subsequently burned over the crash site. Lost in the crash was the sole pilot, James Eakin. The fire went on to burn about 3,500 acres, according to the CAL FIRE Fire History Map.