Nighttime Crash of Butler Aircraft Tanker 69 in Oregon (N4SW)

Flight Details and Departure Information The aircraft, operating under the call sign Tanker 69, was conducting a company business flight for Butler. The planned route originated in Redmond, included an en route stop at Klamath Falls, and was destined for Medford. At Redmond, approximately 600 gallons of 100/130-grade fuel were added to the 1,000 gallons already on board. Eight employees boarded the aircraft, and it departed Redmond for Klamath Falls at approximately 1945. The purpose of the flight was to transport Butler employees to an end-of-season barbecue in Medford, which had begun between 1930 and 2000. ## Klamath Falls Stop and Subsequent Departure Tanker 69 landed at Klamath Falls at 2029. Two additional Butler employees boarded the aircraft, and it departed runway 14 at 2040. The flight crew did not file a flight plan, and the weather conditions were such that one was not required. ## Witness Accounts and Crash Sequence Witnesses observed the aircraft begin a steep right turn approximately one mile south of the runway. It momentarily disappeared from view behind hangars and airport buildings before proceeding on a westerly course. A few minutes later, a pilot located 11 miles west-southwest of the airport saw the aircraft pass overhead at an estimated altitude of 750 feet above ground level. The pilot reported that the aircraft lights were on and the engine sounds were normal. Around 2047, witnesses located 25 miles west-northwest of the airport heard sounds they initially mistook for a vehicle with loud mufflers. They later identified the sounds as an approaching aircraft. The engine sounds became choppy, resembling the noise of a helicopter blade, and a fireball was observed on Surveyor Peak, approximately 3.5 miles south of the witnesses' location. Personnel from Weyerhaeuser Company and the Oregon State Forestry Department, located about 12 miles from Surveyor Peak, also saw the fireball. After notifying authorities, they took firefighting equipment to the scene. ## Crash Outcome The aircraft crashed at night during hours of darkness at an elevation of approximately 6,400 feet. The aircraft was totally destroyed, and all 12 occupants were killed.