ALMERIA, Spain — A wildland firefighter died when her firefighting plane crashed Sunday.
FirefighterCloseCalls reported that firefighter and pilot Sonia Morales Martinez, 40, died when the aircraft she was flying crashed during attempts to control a forest fire. She was not only a firefighting flight pilot, but a respected flight instructor as well, according to the report.
Witnesses saw “strange movements” of the aircraft’s tail moments before it fell and collided with the ground, according to the report.
Firefighter Martinez had a long professional history in firefighting and more than 5,000 hours of experience flying aircraft, according to the report. She leaves behind a husband and a daughter.