-
Location:
California -
Date:
08/23/1963 -
Incident Type:
Fixed Wing Incident -
Description:
Robert Savaria, pilot and owner of a P-61 Black Widow air tanker, was killed instantly while maneuvering to drop retardant on the Wiggletail Fire, Tule Indian Reservation, California. Savaria was piloting one of five tankers dropping retardant on this 600-acre grass and brush fire. His twin engine plane was loaded with 1,600 gallons of retardant. Witnesses on the ground reported that his plane hit a ridgetop above Gibbon Creek and subsequently crashed to the bottom of the canyon.
Fixed Wing Incident or Accident, Fatality, Aviation
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