Air tanker pilot killed in Eastern Oregon crash identified

An air tanker pilot who died after disappearing in the Malheur National Forest late Thursday night has been identified.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An air tanker pilot who died after disappearing in the Malheur National Forest late Thursday night has been identified.

The Grant County Sheriff confirmed Sunday morning that 74-year-old James Bailey Maxwell passed away while fighting a lightning-started fire in the vicinity of the Falls Fire near Seneca, Ore.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the single-engine Air Tractor 802A crashed around 11:30 p.m. Thursday night. Maxwell was the only occupant of the aircraft.

The plane was located in steep, forested terrain on Friday morning after the search was suspended at nightfall the day before, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

In a statement made on social media, the U.S. Forest Service said Maxwell was an experienced pilot who had spent 54 years flying and had logged approximately 24,000 hours of flight time.

"The Maxwell family and firefighters are grateful for the support being expressed throughout the community and online," the statement continued. "Services have not been announced at this time and the family asks for privacy while they mourn."