Incident Overview
In the early morning, a four-engine aircraft departed Marseille-Marignane on a positioning flight to Aubenas-Vals-Lanas Airport in Ardèche. Upon arrival, the crew was briefed about a forest fire in the region of Burzet, approximately 15 kilometers northwest of Aubenas. The aircraft then departed Aubenas in company with two Canadair CL-415 aircraft and was dispatched to the fire area under the callsign Tanker 82.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft completed its first water drop successfully. While performing a second low pass, it struck trees and crashed on hilly terrain. The crash resulted in two crew members being seriously injured and two others killed.
Crew
The crew consisted of four members: pilot Ted Hobard, copilot Paul Trinque, navigator Jo Williams, and mechanic Ted Meyer. The pilot and copilot were seriously injured; the navigator and mechanic were killed.
Aftermath
The aircraft was destroyed in the crash. The seriously injured crew members were transported for medical treatment. No further details were provided in the initial report.