Hell, I was there!

Just Another Fire in the Kern Canyon, But I Can’t Talk About It

Written By: Daniel Kleinman

Photo Credit: 1. Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The San Francisco Chronicle / Getty Images

How it all started

On 11 July 1986 at approximately 0200 hours the Fulton Hotshots, three local USFS engines, and Kern County Fire were dispatched to a reported wildfire adjacent to the Kern Canyon on the higher slopes off of Rancheria Ridge. This was an initial attack assignment and at the time a majority of the crewmembers stayed in the barracks. As I remember we loaded and responded one of the crew hauls with me at the wheel. Jim Smith waited for stragglers living off site then responded with the 2 nd crew haul. This was our operating procedures back then for off hours call back for initial attack. It would take approximately 1 1⁄4 to 1 1⁄2 hours to get to where the fire was reported. While in route the 1st update on the situation from dispatch was, “All units responding to the fire, it is a confirmed military aircraft I repeat confirmed military aircraft”. Sometime later a follow-up update from dispatch went like this, “All units responding to the reported fire, it is confirmed there are no nuclear weapon on board the aircraft, I repeat no nuclear weapons”. I was pleased to hear this information especially since IRPGs had not been invented and we wouldn’t have known what to do if there were nuclear weapons without guidance from the IRPG.

With the 1st crew haul, we accessed through a cattle ranch, parked and geared up, and then headed down to the fire. The remainder of the crew was still in transit. According to Jim Smith when he arrived at the end of the road there was a military presence with heavy security. No markings on uniforms with cool looking firearms. Our DFMO who was a real dud normally responded in the opposite direction of a reported fire. This one time he arrived on scene and announced he was in charge. He was quickly and firmly informed that he was not but the military CO was. There was a delay in time before the military allowed the other suppression resources to proceed on foot to the fire.

Fire was approximately 100 acres, low rate of spread, and burning in grass with some oak over story. With the 1st Fulton module and a few others we anchored at the top of the burn and took a flank direct downhill. While still under the cover of darkness Jim Smith all the other suppression resource were committed to the fire and engaged in the action.

So What’s The Big Deal?

By the time the sun started showing itself we had the fire contained and here came the military helicopters dropping off security forces onto the line. The security forces consisted of 18 year olds packing M-16s and a clipboard. The clipboards were for each and every one of us to sign an affidavit that swore our secrecy and not allowed to share any information associated with the incident to anybody. We didn’t know at the time what type of aircraft it was but by the action of the military we knew it was extremely important. This was an F-117A Stealth Fighter that the DOD did not acknowledge its existence and was still in the testing phase. National news was on scene in the area early the 1 st day. News helicopters often broke the restricted airspace through the next several days. They would be chased off by military gunships. It was on the news for weeks and everyone knew it was a stealth but DOD never acknowledged what really happened and only claiming it was a military aircraft. This incident was of high national security significance. A security perimeter was establish early on and maintained until all the debris was collected. It was 3 to 5 years later before DOD acknowledged the truth behind the aircraft and the mishap and confirmed what everyone already knew.

The Mishap

Immediately prior to the accident, the aircraft was flying a training mission at low elevation and the pilot must have become disoriented and flew at a sharp angle directly into the hillside. The plane didn’t just crash it shattered. There were a few large pieces but primarily small pieces scattered within the burn area which was determined to be the primary debris field. It would be like taking a china plate and holding it over your head and with all your might, slam it onto a concrete slab. The big pieces are really just small pieces. It’s about how you look at the situation. The pilot was killed upon impact and was absorbed into the ground due to the extreme energy. No body or body parts were recovered.

Button your lip!

For years we referred to the incident as the “Nova Crash” because we swore we would not share any details of the incident. Again everyone knew what had occurred but we refrained from talking about it. This repeatedly pissed my wife off because when she would ask me a question about the Stealth, I would talk about a 1969 Chevrolet Nova that had crashed.

Back to the fire

As I said we had contained the approximately 150 acre fire at sun up. What became our primary mission was locating aircraft parts. The burned area was above and all insight of the impact site. The terrain was a perfect catcher’s mitt. A military POC teamed with our POC with our tactical frequency and were located at the impact site. As we gridded the burn mopping up we’d come across pieces of the aircraft. We would leave the debris in place (don’t touch anything, 18 year olds with M-16s), flag it, and call it into the POCs where they would have a visual of the location and log it in.

By mid-afternoon we had completed all the kicking the weeds we could kick, locating aircraft parts, and mop up was complete. We were dispatched to a new start in the Kern Valley and started out walk out. As we neared the road system in the middle of “No-where” The military had taken over the area. There was an abundance of personnel, equipment, and facilities. Looked like a fire camp or under ICS the ICP. We were allowed to load and respond to the new fire.

Photo credit 2: F-117 Stealth Fighter Association

The phone call, You Want Us to What?

Near a week after the fire, Superintendent Jim Smith received a phone call from our DFMO with instructions to head back to the fire, make contact with the military CO, and do whatever it is they want us to do. It was early afternoon in late July so we load the crew hauls and head out. We arrive at the drop point and start walking down the ridge towards the fire. Last time I was here again there were 18 year olds with M-16s so I was loud and attempting to let the world know that the Fulton Hotshots were on scene and friendly. As we proceeded down the ridge and broke out of the oak canopy we could see two (too) large military tents straddling a narrow ridge. As we approached again I was vocally making our presence known. I peeked into one on the tents and found it full of pallets of sodas and candy bars. The Kern Canyon is not known for cool temperatures in July and confirmed not to be candy friendly. I also didn’t notice any air conditioners nor ice chests. We finally made contact with the CO and were briefed on the situation. Their job was to rake up all the many pieces of aircraft. As I mentioned earlier a high percentage of the debris field was in the burn area. Their dilemma was that at the impact site there was a small area that debris went 180 degrees to the angle of flight/impact. They were using leaf rakes to gather the aircraft parts. Throughout the existing burn area that worked well with the rakes. In the unburned area with 1 1⁄2 foot grass the raking was challenging and unproductive. Lots of grass wrapped in the rake teeth with nil aircraft pieces to speak of. The CO requested that we burn another 2 to 5 acres. Our instructions was to do whatever the military needed done in short order. In the middle of fire season, hot and dry conditions, we built a quick line and fired it without informing anyone what we were up to. We mopped up a few hotspots and were out of there with mission success. Jim briefed the DFMO and dispatch later out of courtesy more than necessity.

More to the story

A few years after the fire the DOD confirmed to the public on the details of the Stealth Crash. With that we could talk openly about what we had experience and seen. As goes with old news or history, life moves on and sometimes forgotten. In 1999 I was off the Hotshots and now a Battalion Chief with my office at Kern County Fire Headquarters where I acted as a liaison with Kern County Fire Department. One fine day a person from KRN prevention whose office was down the hall from mine poked his head into my office. He asked me if I knew anything about a stealth crash which I confirmed I did. He went on to say that he was contacted by a representative from Edwards AFB and since the crash in 86 every year two Air Force Officers would replace the US flag that flew over the crash site. He added that they’d drive into the Kern Canyon, wade or swim across the Kern River, then hike to the crash site which was at least a 2,000 foot gain in elevation to include steep and rugged terrain. His question to me was “is there an easier way to access the site?” I provided him with the easier less dangerous route which was our 1986 jump off point and included contact info for the Ranch.

Written By: Daniel Kleinman

Additional information in regards to this and other F-117 mishaps can be searched via the web.