Montana pilot killed fighting Oregon fire had ‘a five times bigger heart than most’
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NEAR HOOD RIVER, OR (KPTV) — Thursday marked a somber day of remembrance in the Columbia River Gorge as firefighters honored a pilot who lost his life while assisting in the White River Fire.
Tom Duffy died in a crash on Monday while performing bucket water drops about 30 miles south of Hood River.
AIR 12 was overhead on Thursday as a procession made its way to the Ken Jernstead Airfield just south of Hood River, where Duffy’s casket was loaded onto a plane to be flown back to his family in Montana as firefighters looked on.
Duffy was a 40-year-old search-and-rescue pilot from Bozeman, Montana. He was also a third generation pilot. People who knew him said he will be remembered for his skills behind the controls and for his kindness.
“Tom was a 1.5 size human being, with a five times bigger heart than most,” Former Commander Jason Jarret said. “Sweet, kind, gentle. Giant of a guy.”
The NTSB and the FAA are looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
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