Idaho memorial service honors pilots killed in Utah tanker crash


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Updated: 6/15/2012 11:37 am | Published: 6/15/2012 11:36 am
P2V-7 Air Tanker that crashed fighting wildfire in Utah (Neptune Aviation)
P2V-7 Air Tanker that crashed fighting wildfire in Utah (Neptune Aviation)
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Family and friends in Idaho are honoring two firefighting pilots who died in a crash.

A memorial service was held in Boise Thursday for 48-year-old Todd Tompkins and 40-year-old Ron Chambless. They died fighting a wildfire June 3 near the Utah-Nevada line when their air tanker hit a mountain just inside Utah.

Tompkins' 10-year-old daughter Paige says she remembers her dad for many things, but also as a great skier. Many from Chambless' family traveled from Texas to be at the service.

The Idaho Statesman reports a standing-room crowd of more than 300 packed a Boise building for the service, which was preceded by a procession of fire-fighting vehicles.

U.S. Forest Service and BLM officials expressed regret and presented families with letters of condolence from President Barack Obama.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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