Early Report Out On Air Tanker

Investigators say the wings of an air tanker broke off before the fuselage caught fire and crashed near Walker, Calif. But the National Transportation Safety Board says a final report on the June 17th crash that killed three people won´t be completed for about a year. The C-130-A crashed after dropping a load of fire retardant on the Cannon fire. The pilot and two crew members were killed. Records show the 46-year-old plane had been repaired in 1998 to fix wing cracks. The plane, owned by Wyoming-based Hawkins & Powers, was under contract with the U.S. Forest Service. The six remaining C-130s in the firefighting fleet have been grounded indefinitely until the cause of the crash is determined.