A Littleton man was one of three crew members killed Saturday when a converted military plane crashed in heavy fog in Utah’s Oquirrh Mountains.
All three victims were working for a private Montana- based firefighting company, the Tooele County sheriff said.
Sheriff Frank Park said the plane was en route from Missoula, Mont., to Alamogordo, N.M., when it failed to clear a mountain pass.
The sheriff identified the pilot as Tom Risk, 66, of Littleton, and crew members as Mike Flynn, 59, of Alamogordo, and Brian Buss, 32, of Alberton, Mont.
The crew from Neptune Aviation of Missoula were bound for southern New Mexico to help fight a 19,000-acre wildfire, according to the New Mexico Forestry Division.
The wildfire, 20 percent contained, was threatening a home and several outbuildings and a power distribution line.
Neptune’s ground safety and security coordinator, Miek Pfau, said he could confirm only that the company lost an aircraft.
Investigators for the Federal Aviation Administration were at the crash site Saturday, and officials for the National Traffic Safety Board planned to arrive today, the sheriff said.
