Iron 44, Iron Complex, Buckhorn Fire Date: August 5, 20

2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
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Incident Name: originally called Iron 44 (Iron Complex, Buckhorn Fire), ultimately named
Panther Fire incident (Panther Creek flows into the New River in that area)
Date: August 5, 2008
Personnel: 9 lives lost (see below)
Age: varies
Agency/Organization: Carson Helicopters, Inc (Grants Pass, OR) provided the helicopter and
pilot; Grayback Forestry, Inc (Merlin, OR) provided the handcrew; both working for the US
Forest Service along with a Forest Service Check Pilot.
Position: varies
Summary: On August 5th, 2008 A helicopter crashed on the Iron Complex in a remote wooded
area in the Trinity Alps Wilderness of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest about 35 miles
northwest of Redding, California. The
Sikorsky S-61N (N612AZ) (photo credit H.
Spurting
), owned
by Carson Helicopters and under contract to the U.S. Forest Service, crashed at about 7:30
p.m. PDT. The helicopter had completed 2 trips to return firefighting crews to a safer location
and had made a refueling stop. After it refueled, it returned for its third load of passengers.
During departure, the helicopter experienced a loss of power to the main rotor during takeoff
initial climb, and subsequently impacted trees and terrain. The aircraft came to rest on its left
side. A post-crash fire consumed the aircraft. Nine firefighters, including two pilots and 8
members of a firefighting handcrew died in the crash and a pilot and 3 firefighters were severely
injured. The National Transportation Safety Board investigated.
Of the 4 seriously injured, 3 are Grayback Forestry, Inc. employees and the fourth worked for
Carson Helicopters, Inc.; all have recovered from their physical injuries.
Nine Wildland Firefighters were lost in the Line of Duty
1/9
2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
Grayback Forestry, Inc., 7 employees
Steven Caleb Renno's mom: "They Held the Line"
Shawn Blazer, 30, from Medford, Oregon
Scott Charlson, 25, from Phoenix, Oregon
Edrik Gomez, 19, from Ashland, Oregon
Matt Hammer, 23, from Grants Pass, Oregon
Steven Caleb Renno, 21, from Cave Junction, Oregon
Bryan Rich, 29, from Medford, Oregon
David Steele, 19, from Ashland, Oregon
Carson Helicopters, Inc. employee
Roark Schwanenberg, 54, from Lostine, Oregon – Pilot
USFS Inspector Pilot
Jim Ramage, 64, from Redding, California - USFS Inspector Pilot, Shasta Trinity National
Forest
Photos courtesy of Grayback Forestry, Carson Helicopters, USFS and families.
2/9
2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
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3/9
2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
Return to top
Reports,
Documentation,
Lessons
Learned
Shasta
Trinity
National
Forest
Press
Release
8/6/08
(24
hours)
-- FS
Today
Announcement
of
Helicopter
Crash
Concise
Information
from
the
NTSB,
FAA,
AAP,
and
research
by Wilderness
the
WLF
August
5,
2008
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Iron
44
helicopter
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7
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Scott
Schwanenberg,
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Jim
Hammer,
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3 were
Gomez,
critically
Steven
injured
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Renno,
Carson
Helicopters,
Inc.
(CHI)
of
Grants
Pass,
Oregon
Type:
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trees
CA)
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mountainous
terrain
atUSFS,
6,000
feet
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the
Trinity
Alps
CA
Registration
tail
N612AZ
NTSB
#
LAX08PA259
- Operator:
NTSB
Docket
as
of
10/7/10
, Charlson,
download
particular
documents,
and
photos
National
Transportation
Safety
Board:
Probable
Cause
(html
)maps
|
4/9
2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
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NTSB
Query
Webpage
Identification
#Transportation
LAX08PA259
: the floor
USFA
Memorial
Database:
Shawn
P.
Blazer
|
Scott
A.
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Matt
A.
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drik
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Gomez
Steven
Caleb
Renno
Bryan
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Rich
David
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Steele
Roark
Schwanenberg
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How
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Getting
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- NTSB
Crash
Site
from
NTSB
docket
Return to top
WLF
CA-SHF-Iron-Complex-Helicopter-Crash
- Links:
Other
firefighter support - Zion Helitack website
Return
to top
Media
and
Reports.
Injured
firefighters
identified
-- UPDATED:
redding.com
6
aerial
photos
of
crash
siteininfirefighter
the
Trinity
Alps
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6,
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Eight
firefighters,
one
member
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dead in Trinity County
cnn.com
9 Articles
believed
dead,
4in
injured
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crash Accident
August
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online
Search
continues
deadly
wildfire
helicopter
August
07,
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Burning
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reportedly
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AP
article
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msnbc.com
Officials
try
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ID
remains
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helicopter
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bodies
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August
10,
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21,
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oregonlive.com
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September
04,
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mailtribune.com
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44
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September
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- I Saw You Up on the Mountain Poem
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5/9
2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
Photos,
Videos,
& Tributes
- FS
Today
Message
from
the Secretary: Fallen Fire Fighters Flags at Half Staff 8/12/08
Basecamp
Ceremony
8/7/08
Firecamp
Tribute:
6/9
2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
7/9
2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
Going Home, Weaverville CA Tribute, compliments of USFS
Jim Rammage Celebration of Life
Junction City Memorial
8/9
2008 08/05 CA Iron 44 or Panther Incident -S-61N
Iron
44
Memorial
Tribute
inVideo
Oregon:
FSvideo
Press
Release
(21
Klocated
pdf)8/15/08
The
Iron
44ofMemorial
Pages
from
Grayback
-- the
WFF
website;
Wildland
archive
Firefighter
located
Foundation
on
Tribute
Full
video
of
tribute
longer
on the
Steelenet.us
Iron
44
Incident
(images
and
music);
archive
on 44
sno
teelenet.us
Iron
44
Tribute
You
Tube
video
8/15/08
(Mail
Tribune
News)
Iron
44
Tribute
Iron
44
Oregon
Memorial
on
steelnet.us
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44
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albums.
of
David
Steele
who
was
onthe
the
crew.
Scroll
photo
from
the
Wildland
Firefighter
Foundation
Return to top
Contributors
toallthis
article:
Patterson,
Foundation,
and
Debbie
who
Miley,
worked
Sharon
Scott
to provide
Heywood,
Roberts,
support
Mellie,
MiketoWheelock,
David
families
Steele's
and
John
friends
family,
Miller,
ofWildland
Dennis
the fallen
Hulbert,
Firefighter
Dave
Please support the Wildland Firefighter Foundation
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