View source for CDF Aviation Management Program

{{Short description|Branch of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox fire department
| name          = CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program
| logo          = Logo of CAL FIRE.svg
| motto         = 
|subdivision_type1=Area served|subdivision_type2=Headquarters|subdivision_name1=[[California]]|subdivision_name2=[[Sacramento McClellan Airport]]| established   = 1958
| staffing      = 18 CAL FIRE personnel, 130 contract employees
| strength      = 
| stations      = 14 air tanker bases, 11 helicopter bases
| airplanes     = [[#Fleet|44]]
| helicopters   = [[#Fleet|25]]
| chief         = 
| commissioner  = 
}}
The '''CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program''' is a branch of the [[California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection]] (known also as CAL FIRE). Due to the frequency and severity of [[wildfire]]s in [[California]], the state has elected to establish its own [[aerial firefighting]] force rather than rely solely on contract or national resources. The Aviation Management Program is based at [[McClellan Airfield]] near Sacramento, California.

== Overview ==
[[File:CAL FIRE S-70i program.jpg|thumb|CAL FIRE S-70i Firehawk in flight]]

In support of its ground forces, the [[California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection]] (CAL FIRE) emergency response air program includes 23 [[S-2 Tracker|S-2T]] 1,200-gallon airtankers, 12 [[Bell 204/205|UH-1H Super Huey]] helicopters, and 16 [[OV-10 Bronco|OV-10A]] tactical aircraft. It is in the process of adding seven [[C-130H]] 4,000-gallon airtankers. These aircraft are stationed at 14 airtanker and 11 [[helitack]] bases located statewide and can reach most fires within 20 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aviation Program |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403090552/https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program |archive-date=3 April 2023 |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program |agency=CAL FIRE (California Dept of Forestry & Fire Protection)}}</ref>

Tactical planes fly overhead at a fire, directing the airtankers and helicopters to critical fire areas for [[fire retardant|retardant]] and water drops. While both air tankers and helicopters are equipped to carry fire retardant or water, the helicopters can also transport firefighters, equipment and injured personnel.

The average annual budget of the CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program is nearly $20 million. A total of 18 CAL FIRE personnel oversee the program, with an additional 130 contract employees providing mechanical, pilot and management services.

CAL FIRE's current support contractors are [[DynCorp]] and Logistics Specialties Incorporated (LSI). DynCorp provides tanker and tactical aircraft pilot services, and all aircraft maintenance services. All CAL FIRE helicopters are flown by CAL FIRE pilots. LSI provides procurement and parts management services.

== Fleet ==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ CAL FIRE aviation fleet<ref>{{Cite web |title=CAL FIRE Aviation Program Overview (PDF) |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program |access-date=August 26, 2024 |website=CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program}}</ref>
!Aircraft
!In service
!Orders
!Role
!Gallons (Liters)<br />Carried
!Notes
|-
|[[Beechcraft Super King Air|Beechcraft King Air 200]]
|3
|—
|Tactical
|{{n/a}}
|Training aircraft
|-
|[[UH-1H|Bell UH-1H]]
|12
|—
|Helicopter
|{{Convert|360|U.S.gal|L|abbr=values}}
|Reserve fleet
|-
|[[Grumman S-2T Turbo Tracker|Grumman S-2T]]
|23
|—
|Tanker
|{{Convert|1200|U.S.gal|L|abbr=values}}
|
|-
|[[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|Lockheed C-130H]]
|2
|5
|Tanker
|{{Convert|4000|U.S.gal|L|abbr=values}}
|Orders are aircraft to be transferred from US Coast Guard
|-
|[[North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco|Rockwell OV-10]]
|16
|4
|Tactical
|{{n/a}}
|
|-
|[[Sikorsky S-70|Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk]]
|13
|3
|Helicopter
|{{Convert|1000|U.S.gal|L|abbr=values}}
|
|-
!Total
!69
!11
! colspan="3" |
|}

== History ==
=== Air Tankers ===
The possibility of using aircraft for fighting wildland fires in California was first proposed in 1931 and again in the late 1940s after [[World War II]]. In 1953, the Nolta brothers of [[Willows, California]] proposed using their [[Agricultural aircraft|agriculture spray planes]] for fighting brush and grass fires. During the four fire seasons from 1954 to 1957, CAL FIRE used several small airtankers on a call-when-needed basis. These were primarily spray airplanes converted for use as firefighters. Also during this period, several enterprising aviation companies had been converting World War II [[Grumman TBF Avenger|Grumman TBM Avengers]] for air tanker use. Thus, in 1958 CAL FIRE first contracted for air tanker services with private aviation companies. That year contracts were let for three [[Naval Aircraft Factory N3N Canary]], four [[Boeing Stearman|Stearman]] and four TBM Avenger air tankers. The N3Ns and Stearmans were World War II biplanes used for pilot training and converted for use as agricultural spray planes. They were capable of carrying up to 200 gallons of fire retardant chemicals. The TBM, a World War II torpedo bomber, could deliver 600 gallons.

During the ensuing years other aircraft were converted to air tankers and used by CAL FIRE. Among these were [[Beechcraft Model 18|Beechcraft 18 (Twin Beech)]], [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]], [[Consolidated PBY Catalina]], and [[Grumman F7F Tigercat]]. The air tanker program continued to expand until finally in the early 1970s, a total of 14 TBMs, five F7Fs, one PBY and one B-17 comprised the CAL FIRE fleet.

By 1970, concerns with maintainability and accidents occurring in the TBM fleet led to an evaluation of the Grumman S-2 Tracker as a new generation air tanker. Although they were still active in the [[United States Navy|Navy]], four were loaned to CAL FIRE for the evaluation. The Army Aviation Test Facility at [[Edwards Air Force Base]] completed a test program that showed the S-2 was a suitable replacement for the TBM. Two S-2 prototype air tankers were placed in service in 1973 with the prototype tank being built at the CAL FIRE Mobile Equipment Facility in [[Davis, California|Davis]] and the S-2 modification being completed by Hemet Valley Flying Service. These conversions were accomplished using plans developed by Ontario Lands and Forests in [[Ontario]], [[Canada]].
[[File:Fox-firebase-cdf-s2t-N436DF-070904-08-24.jpg|thumb|[[Grumman S-2T Turbo Tracker|Grumman S-2T]] landing at [[Fox Field]], while fighting the [[North Fire (2015)|North Fire]]]]
Three TBM accidents in 1973 and three F7F accidents in 1974 accelerated the CAL FIRE S-2 modification program. As a result, contracts were entered into with four California contractors, [[Aero Union Corp]]., Sis-Q Flying Service, TBM Inc. and Hemet Valley Flying Service to modify and tank ten S-2 air tankers during the 1973/1974 winter period. As a result, 12 S-2As were placed in service in 1974 and five more were built by Bay Aviation Services and put into the fleet for the 1975 fire season.

Three separate leases with the U.S. Navy brought a total of 55 S-2s and 60 engines for the program. This allowed CAL FIRE to keep the fleet going until the mid-1990s when it was decided to upgrade from S-2A to S-2T air tankers. In 1987, CAL FIRE entered into an agreement with Marsh Aviation of [[Mesa, Arizona]] to build a prototype S-2T. This prototype was placed in service and used at several bases. The success of the prototype led to acquisition of 26 S-2E/G aircraft in 1996. The E/G series S-2 was larger and newer. It could haul 1200 gallons of retardant with two [[Garrett AiResearch TPE-331|TPE-331 GR]] [[turboprop]] engines at speeds in excess of {{convert|200|kn|km/h|1|abbr=on}}. A contract for building 23 of the new S-2T airtankers was entered into, with 13 delivered by the end of 2002, seven additional aircraft delivered and placed in service by the end of 2004 and the final three in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=S-2T Airtanker |url=https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program/s2t-2020-redesign-final-3.pdf?rev=5d78d332e0014889aa1429d273f41f50&hash=15FD6FFE07F9DBC792EB909D95CDCEAD |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403181337/https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program/s2t-2020-redesign-final-3.pdf?rev=5d78d332e0014889aa1429d273f41f50&hash=15FD6FFE07F9DBC792EB909D95CDCEAD |archive-date=3 April 2023 |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program |agency=CAL FIRE (California Dept of Forestry & Fire Protection)}}</ref> As the new air tankers were delivered and placed in service, the original S-2As were retired.

In 2007, CAL FIRE contracted with [[10 Tanker Air Carrier]] for a three year exclusive use contract utilizing a wide body [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10]] [[aerial firefighting]] jet air tanker known as [[Tanker 910]], at a cost of $5 million per year.

In July 2018, CAL FIRE began efforts to receive seven [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|Lockheed C-130H]] aircraft from US Coast Guard. The transfer was made official by the December 2023 passage of the [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024|FY24 National Defense Authorization Act]]. The aircraft started entering active service in August 2024 after conversion into airtankers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cummings |first=Brandi |date=19 July 2019 |title=An inside look at Cal Fire's newest airtankers for fighting wildfires |url=https://www.kcra.com/article/an-inside-look-at-cal-fires-newest-airtankers-for-fighting-wildfires/28440963 |access-date=4 June 2021 |publisher=KCRA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=C130H Airtanker |url=https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program/c-130h-factsheet-2.pdf?rev=50c3801468794af2aab1ab1c35ed4672&hash=5339488321031A31272F9FF77777B28A |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403110147/https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program/c-130h-factsheet-2.pdf?rev=50c3801468794af2aab1ab1c35ed4672&hash=5339488321031A31272F9FF77777B28A |archive-date=3 April 2023 |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program |agency=CAL FIRE (California Dept of Forestry & Fire Protection)}}</ref>

=== Air Tactical Aircraft ===
[[File:Cdf-ov10-N415DF-071022-fox-02-16.jpg|thumb|right|Air Attack 460, a [[North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco|Rockwell OV-10]], at [[Fox Field]] during the 2007 Southern California firestorm]]
In the mid-1970s, CAL FIRE found that the contractor-owned air tactical planes, mostly single-engine [[Cessna 182]]s and [[Cessna 210]]s, did not provide the airspeed and safety needed for the new air tanker program. In 1974, CAL FIRE acquired 20 retired [[United States Air Force|USAF]] [[Cessna O-2]] observation aircraft from [[Davis-Monthan Air Force Base]]. These O-2s had been [[forward air control]] aircraft in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]], had been shipped back to the United States in containers and were disassembled and on pallets when they arrived at CAL FIRE's [[Fresno, California|Fresno]] maintenance facility. A crew of California Conservation Corp (CCC) members reassembled the aircraft. They were placed in service in 1976. The O-2 program was a success and served the Department for more than 20 years.

In 1993, CAL FIRE obtained 15 twin-engine turbine-powered North American OV-10A aircraft from the U.S. Navy. The OV-10s replaced the O-2s as the CAL FIRE's next-generation air tactical platform. 3 OV-10C buy in 2005, one converti.

=== Helicopter Program ===
[[File:Cdf-b205-N497DF-061027-02cr-16.jpg|thumb|CAL FIRE Super Huey, formerly an EH-1H, assigned to the [[Bieber, California|Bieber]] [[Helitack]] crew, takes off from the [[Mojave Airport]]]]
In 1960 the Division of Forestry decided to experiment with a small, skilled initial attack, or "[[helitack]]" crew to be transported by helicopter to increase the early arrival of manpower and equipment to an initial attack fire. Although the crews were trained for hover jumping and had purchased heli-jump suits from the US Forest Service, it was never found necessary to make a jump. Six helitack bases were established in the early 1970s. They were staffed with contracted Bell JetRangers. A typical CAL FIRE helitack crew which responded with the helicopter consisted of one fire captain and two to three seasonal firefighters.

CAL FIRE began using contractor-owned helicopters for fire control in the mid-1960s. [[Bell 47]], [[Fairchild Hiller FH-1100|Hiller FH1100]], [[Bell 206]] JetRangers and [[Aérospatiale Alouette II|Aerospatiale Alouettes]] were used the most through the 1970s. The helicopters were located at CAL FIRE facilities which protected high value timberlands and critical watershed areas generally in Northern and Central California with one located at Ryan Field in Southern California. The helicopter began playing an increasing role in the CAL FIRE's Initial Attack strategy during the late 70s. In 1978 three Bell 205 medium helicopters were hired in addition to the standby helicopters. One helicopter was located at the Howard Forest, Mendocino Ranger Unit Headquarters. The other two were located at Hemet/Ryan Field and the Monte Vista, San Diego Ranger Unit Headquarters. Each of the medium helicopters was assigned 11 person helitack crews. Unfortunately, in the mid to late 1970s CAL FIRE experienced an increased accident rate throughout the helicopter program. Five accidents involving contractor-owned Bell Jet Rangers occurred in 1979.

As a result of the accidents, CAL FIRE decided that better approach would be for the agency to own and operate its own helicopters. In 1981, CAL FIRE leased 12 excess UH-1F Hueys which had previously been used by the USAF in Vietnam. Nine helicopters were initially reconditioned, and were operated as non-certificated, public-use aircraft. The first helicopter was built up November, 1981 and was placed in service at Hemet-Ryan Helitack Base. Six more F Model Hueys were built up and placed in service at helitack bases throughout California in the summer of 1982. During the first two years CAL FIRE employed “Personal Service Contract” pilots. Each base was assigned a full-time pilot and a seasonal relief pilot who covered two bases. The majority of the contract pilots became state employees in 1984. The helitack unit was designed to be a cohesive unit which consisted of the helicopter and helitack crew. A typical configuration for the helicopter was a Helitack Fire Captain in the copilot's seat and a Helitack Fire Captain plus six fire-fighters in the passenger compartment. The water bucket was replaced in 1984 with a newly designed Canadian {{convert|324|USgal|L|adj=on}} [[Bambi bucket]]. In the mid-1980s, fixed water dropping tanks were installed on several helicopters. Water bucket operations over ever-increasing populated regions in the urban interface areas of eastern [[Riverside County, California|Riverside County]] had been causing a concern. An accidental drop of a water bucket could cause catastrophic results, while a fixed tank reduced the exposure. In addition, some areas where the helicopters operated had few water sources from which a helicopter could fill its bucket. A fixed tank allowed the helicopter to obtain water from sources previously unobtainable with the bucket.

As the 1991 lease agreement expiration date with the [[US Air Force]] rapidly approached, CAL FIRE started a search for a replacement that ultimately resulted in the acquisition in 1989 of the UH-1H. The airframes that CAL FIRE obtained were part of 100 that had been released by the [[United States Department of Defense|US Department of Defense]] to the [[United States Forest Service|US Forest Service]] for distribution to states as Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) for wildland fire fighting.

The UH-1H aircraft were significantly modified to meet CAL FIRE's specialized needs. The modified helicopters were designated as Super Hueys. The Super Huey included a larger, more powerful engine, transmission and rotor system. The tail boom and tail rotor were also modified to accommodate the engine, giving the aircraft greater performance than the standard [[US Army]] UH-1H helicopters in hotter and higher conditions typical of California.
[[File:CAL FIRE Blackhawk S-70i - 2020.ogg|thumb|A video montage of the [[Sikorsky S-70]]i purchased by CDF in 2020.]]
Both the F model and the Super Huey maintenance programs were developed by CAL FIRE using the most restrictive overhaul/replacement criteria of the military or Bell Helicopter. All maintenance is performed by contract mechanics. Big Valley built up and maintained the F model helicopters from 1981 to 1990 at their [[Stockton, California|Stockton]] facility. They also started building up the first Super Hueys in 1989. San Joaquin Helicopters completed the Super Huey build-ups and maintained them in their facility in [[Yolo County, California|Yolo County]] and later at the Aviation Management facility at [[Mather Air Force Base|Mather Field]] in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] from 1989 to 1999. [[DynCorp]] was awarded the contract in 2000 and continued to maintain the Super Hueys at Mather and later at [[McClellan Airfield]] in [[North Highlands, California|North Highlands]], California.

In 2019, CAL FIRE began replacing the Super Hueys with new [[Sikorsky S-70]]i Firehawk helicopters. The Firehawk airframe was built by [[PZL Mielec]] in Poland and outfitted for firefighting by United Rotorcraft in [[Englewood, Colorado]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Guy |date=2022-04-21 |title=Fire Hawk helicopter ready for fire season at Columbia Air Attack Base |url=https://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/article_f00f54aa-c1bf-11ec-a409-a3a2d4ac8b27.html |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=The Union Democrat |language=en}}</ref> The original order for 12 Firehawks replaced the Super Hueys on a one-to-one basis, but in 2022, additional funding was approved to purchase four additional Firehawks increase surge capacity and to maintain operational capabilities during mandatory maintenance cycles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gabbert |first=Bill |title=CAL FIRE's new Firehawk arrives at Sacramento |url=https://fireaviation.com/2019/10/15/cal-fires-new-firehawk-arrives-at-sacramento/ |access-date=4 June 2021 |website=Fire Aviation|date=15 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=UH-1H SUPER HUEY HELICOPTER |url=https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program/uh-1h-superhuey-helicopter-2020-2.pdf?rev=977bca6a7f574b1c812d6a03ebeaf69e&hash=FA38252202A8982457BE5244E4EE9B5C |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403061955/https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program/uh-1h-superhuey-helicopter-2020-2.pdf?rev=977bca6a7f574b1c812d6a03ebeaf69e&hash=FA38252202A8982457BE5244E4EE9B5C |archive-date=3 April 2023 |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program |agency=CAL FIRE (California Dept of Forestry & Fire Protection)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SIKORSKY S70i CAL FIRE HAWK |url=https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program/sikorsky-s70i-2.pdf?rev=a43e6f1367f240cc9729ec0adf3d122b&hash=A9583417ECBCBC792516510F6C860B50 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403053025/https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/what-we-do/fire-protection/aviation-program/sikorsky-s70i-2.pdf?rev=a43e6f1367f240cc9729ec0adf3d122b&hash=A9583417ECBCBC792516510F6C860B50 |archive-date=3 April 2023 |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=CAL FIRE Aviation Management Program |agency=CAL FIRE (California Dept of Forestry & Fire Protection)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=S70 FIREHAWK |url=https://www.unitedrotorcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/s-70a-firehawk-final-web.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205164226/https://www.unitedrotorcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/s-70a-firehawk-final-web.pdf |archive-date=5 December 2022 |access-date=13 April 2022 |website=United Rotorcraft}}</ref> The Super Hueys are expected to be retained on reserve status.

The Firehawk has twin turbine engines, providing redundancy and enabling the airship to carry heavier payloads, including up to {{Convert|1,000|U.S.gal}} of water or fire retardant, a significant increase over the {{Convert|360|U.S.gal|abbr=on}} capacity of the Super Huey. Additionally, the Firehawk's advanced avionics offer night-flying capabilities that were previously unavailable. Crews also report that while the Firehawk is physically larger, it has more maneuverability, allowing it to access more and smaller landing zones than the Super Huey.<ref name=":0" />

== Bases ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+CAL FIRE aviation bases
!Base
!Airfield
!Type
|-
|Alma
|Alma Helitack Base
|Helitack
|-
|Bieber
|Bieber Helitack Base
|Helitack
|-
|Boggs Mountain
|[[Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest|Boggs Mountain Helitack Base]]
|Helitack
|-
|Chico
|[[Chico Regional Airport]]
|Air Attack
|-
|Columbia
|[[Columbia Airport (California)|Columbia Airport]]
|Air Attack, Helitack
|-
|Fresno
|[[Fresno Air Attack Base]]
|Air Attack, jointly operated with [[United States Forest Service|USFS]]
|-
|Gillespie Field
|[[Gillespie Field]]
|Helitack, jointly operated with [[San Diego County Sheriff's Department|San Diego Sheriff]]
|-
|Grass Valley
|[[Nevada County Air Park]]
|Air Attack, jointly operated with [[United States Forest Service|USFS]]
|-
|Hemet Ryan
|[[Hemet-Ryan Airport]]
|Air Attack, Helitack
|-
|Hollister
|[[Hollister Municipal Airport]]
|Air Attack, Helitack
|-
|Howard Forest
|[[Howard Forest Station|Howard Forest Helitack Base]]
|Helitack
|-
|Kneeland
|[[Kneeland Airport]]
|Helitack
|-
|McClelland
|[[Sacramento McClellan Airport]]
|Headquarters / Air Attack
|-
|Paso Robles
|[[Paso Robles Municipal Airport]]
|Air Attack
|-
|Porterville
|[[Porterville Municipal Airport]]
|Air Attack, jointly operated with [[United States Forest Service|USFS]]
|-
|Prado
|Prado Helitack Base
|Helitack
|-
|Ramona
|[[Ramona Airport]]
|Air Attack
|-
|Redding
|[[Redding Regional Airport]]
|Air Attack, jointly operated with [[United States Forest Service|USFS]]
|-
|Rohnerville
|[[Rohnerville Airport]]
|Air Attack
|-
|Sonoma
|[[Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport]]
|Air Attack
|-
|Ukiah
|[[Ukiah Municipal Airport]]
|Air Attack
|-
|Vina
|Vina Helitack Base
|Helitack
|}

== Accidents ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2025}}
The program has experienced 13 fatal accidents, all aircraft involved were [[Grumman S-2T Turbo Tracker|Grumman S-2T]] airtankers.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Date
!{{Abbr|Reg.|Aircraft registration}}
!Pilot(s)
!Cause
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1976|6|29}}
|N414DF
|William W. Sears
|Possible pilot incapacitation/heart attack.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1978|8|20}}
|N448DF
|James M. Lippitt
|Suspected stall on final approach for drop.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1979|6|13}}
|N404DF
|Gayle E. Eaton
|Stall/spin during base-to-final turn (following lead plane) for drop.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1982|7|27}}
|N416DF
|James P. Eakin
|Aircraft struck tree on final approach to fire, losing some flight controls before crashing.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1984|7|13}}
|N451DF
|Ted Bell Jr.
|En route to fire, flew up a canyon he could not clear. Energy management.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1984|9|28}}
|N436DF
|Ed Real
|Stalled turning into raising terrain after drop. Energy management.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1986|6|29}}
|N415DF
|Richard Boyd,<br>Clarence R. Lind
|Training flight; stalled after water drop. Suspect simulated engine failure practice being given.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1987|10|7}}
|N444DF
|Don Johnson
|Stalled making a climbing turn after drop.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1992|6|19}}
|N427DF
|Roger Stark
|After drop, struck tree, severing about {{convert|11.5|ft}} off the left wing.
|-
|{{Date table sorting|1998|10|5}}
|N416DF
|Gary Nagel
|Left wing tip impacted ground during tight turn to final on high wind, quartering tailwind drop.
|-
| rowspan="2" |{{Date table sorting|2001|8|27}}
|N450DF
|Larry Groff
| rowspan="2" |Midair collision over bus accident.
|-
|N442DF
|Lars Stratte
|-
|{{Date table sorting|2014|10|7}}
|N449DF
|{{nowrap|Geoffrey "Craig" Hunt}}
|Left wing severed after striking tree, followed by descending left roll until impacting the top of 800-foot tall rock cliff.<ref>{{cite web |title=Accident Marsh S-2F3AT Turbo Tracker N449DF, Tuesday 7 October 2014 |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/170349}}</ref>
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
''This article contains material that originally came from a State of California [http://www.fire.ca.gov/about_aviation_history2.php website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025001358/http://www.fire.ca.gov/about_aviation_history2.php |date=2007-10-25 }}. According to their site usage guidelines, "In general, information presented on this web site, unless otherwise indicated, is considered in the public domain. It may be distributed or copied as permitted by law". For more information, please review the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711020234/http://www.ca.gov/use.html#ownership site's use guidelines].''

== External links ==
*[https://fire.ca.gov/programs/fire-protection/air-program/ CDF air program website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071025140526/http://webmain02.fire.ca.gov/Pubs/Issuance/8300/8300and8301.pdf ''CDF Aviation Management Procedures Handbook'']

{{Coord|38.6665|-121.3930|type:landmark_region:US-CA|display=title}}

[[Category:Aerial firefighting]]
[[Category:Government of California]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1958]]
[[Category:Firefighting in California]]