2010 Conair CV-580 crash

On 31 July 2010, a Convair CV-580 Airtanker aircraft operated by Conair Aviation crashed while on a firefighting mission near Lytton, British Columbia, Canada. Both crew members, the only people on board, were killed.

The following investigation found no evidence of mechanical faults and concluded that visual illusion during low-altitude flying may have prevented the pilot from accurately assessing the flight path in sufficient time to avoid trees and rising terrain.

History of the flight

The aerial fire-fighting operation involved two aircraft: a Rockwell Turbo Commander 690 acting as bird dog (observation) aircraft, and the accident aircraft, operating as Tanker 448. The bird dog aircraft directed the tanker aircraft to the area where the fire retardant was to be released. On 31 July 2010 both aircraft took off from Kamloops Airport and proceeded to the wildfire.

While preparing for a bombing run on the side of Fraser River canyon, Tanker 448 struck trees while unexpectedly dropping the retardant intended for the target. Seconds later, it entered a spin and crashed into a ravine. A post-impact fire broke out and consumed much of the wreckage. Both crew members were fatally injured.