What happened
During a local fire control operation, a twin engine airplane went down in the vicinity of Safford. The aircraft was performing its assigned mission when it impacted the ground under circumstances that were not immediately clear to investigators. There were no witnesses to the specific moment the aircraft entered a steep nose-down attitude prior to the crash.
Findings
Official investigations into the accident concluded that the aircraft experienced a loss of control while operating within mountainous terrain. The incident resulted in two fatalities, as both occupants on board the aircraft perished in the crash. The specific reason for the loss of control remains undetermined.