Pilot identified in tragic Kruger Rock Fire crash

The pilot who died in a plane crash on Tuesday evening near Estes Park has been identified by the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control, or DFPC.

CO Fire Aviation Pilot Marc Thor Olson was piloting a single engine air tanker last night, in response to the Kruger Rock Fire still burning east of Estes Park. According to a statement from CO Fire Aviation, Olson was a veteran of both the U.S. Army and Air Force with 32 years of service and more than 8,000 total flight hours including 1,000 hours of night vision flight.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Olson’s family, our friends at CO Fire Aviation and the entire firefighting community as we grieve this loss,” DFPC said.

Olson’s aircraft was contracted by Larimer County for fire suppression at Kruger Rock. DFPC confirmed the aircraft was not state-owned or under state contract. 

In a PBS documentary titled Behind the Wings, shared by the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum on YouTube, Olson can be seen discussing night vision optics and the application for night suppression operations. According to the documentary, CO Fire Aviation began testing night vision technology in 2017.

According to the statement, DFPC has researched night suppression for wildfire control and management due to the advantages provided by lower temperatures, increased humidity and reduced wind speeds. The research has been predominantly focused on helicopters for night operations, with the first use of a helicopter for night suppression occuring during the September Virgina Dale fire after two years of operational training. 

“The use of rotary and fixed wing aircraft at night, using night vision technology, is widely and successfully used by the U.S. military and in certain public safety environments, but there is less research and practical experience with fixed wing assets in wildland fire suppression,” DFPC said.

The investigation into Olson’s fatal crash is ongoing with support of DFPC, the FAA, NTSB and CO Fire Aviation. At this time, the cause of the crash and relation to night operations is still unknown.