Silverado Fire Aerial Supervision Fixed Wing Fatalities Crash 1958

William Archibald and Carl Milligan, pilots who flew both aerial supervision and retardant-dropping missions, were killed when their Beechcraft Bonanza crashed in mountainous terrain near a 100-acre fire in Silverado Canyon, Southern California. The men were part of the initial attack effort on the fire, which included 150 firefighters on the ground. As they circled the fire, the plane appeared to fly into the smoke column and crash into a cliff face at 1230 (controlled flight into terrain). Inflight structural failure has also been cited as the cause of the accident. Both pilots were killed instantly. 

Fixed Wing Incident or Accident, Fatality, Aviation, Initial Attack