Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Gary Cockrell

Pilot

On June 22, Contract Pilots Gary Cockrell and Lisa Netsch of Aero Union Corporation, and Pilot Michael Smith of the USDA Forest Service were killed in an aircraft collision over Ramona, CA, when Smith's spotter plane hit the DC-4 air tanker piloted by Cockrell and Netsch. Both planes were on final approach to the airport after returning from dropping fire retardant on a brush fire.
photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Gary Cockrell was honored on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland and was included in the USFA’s annual report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.

Department information

Aero Union Corporation
100 Lockhead Avenue
Chico, California 95926

Age: 33
Rank: Pilot
Classification: Career
Incident date: June 22, 1995
Date of death: June 22, 1995
Cause of fatal injury: Struck By
Nature of fatal injury: Trauma
Activity type: Driving/Operating Vehicle/Apparatus
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: Responding

Last updated: June 13, 2012