The next day was grey, whether from overcast or smoke, it was hard to say. We flew a helicopter to the Ninemile area and then approached Squaw Peak. The fires were mostly subdued, but we had to avoid certain areas. We could see the blackened portion of the mountain where the tanker hit, but getting an angle to see the crash scene was tricky (there was no foot access).
Then, there it was; at the top of Thomas Bauer's photo were the remains of the engine and downhill, the tail. A short streak of retardant smeared the back of the site.
Later, after the investigation, we learned that the pilot and co-pilot hit the ground and bailed out of the plane; their remains were found in the fire-blackened area away from the plane.
From the Missoulian, July 30, 1994