Officer

California Highway Patrol

8/27/2020

Special Act Award (Gold)

At 6:34 a.m. on August 27, 2020, a private civilian airplane departing from Benton Airpark in Redding crashed just after takeoff. Benton Airpark is the base of operation for the California Highway Patrol Northern Division Air Operations Unit. Multiple CHP personnel were inside the Air Operations office, when it was noticed that the private airplane was attempting to take off at an unusual altitude, inconsistent with sustained flight. The airplane departed the runway complex, crossed over Placer Street and crashed into a steep, brush-filled ravine. CHP personnel heard and observed a large explosion caused by the downed aircraft. Officer Jonathan Wion ran from the Air Operations office towards the scene, and initially began to clear pedestrians and vehicular traffic to make way for emergency medical response personnel. Officer Chad Smith, who was off duty and on his way to the Air Operations office, approached the scene, put on his department rapid deployment vest to identify himself as a peace officer and proceeded to assist. CHP personnel were first to arrive on scene and carefully trekked down the steep embankment to the crash site, which was fully engulfed in flames. There they saw the first injured victim on the ground, nearly 10 feet away from the burning fuselage. Due to the extreme heat from the burning wreckage, fuel and vegetation, CHP personnel were forced to retreat on their first attempt at a rescue. They decided to circle around the fuselage to approach the injured victim from a different angle. While circling the aircraft, they came upon a second victim who had been thrown approximately 20 feet from the burning aircraft and was actively on fire along with the surrounding vegetation. CHP personnel were able to extinguish the fire enough to move the second victim away from the fully engulfed fuselage. Officer Wion then worked with Officer Smith to again move the second victim to a safer location, away from the flames. They began to remove the still-smoldering clothes that were clinging to the injured victim’s body, then covered the victim with a blanket and provided airway support. At about this time, the aircraft's onboard oxygen tank had caught fire and caused a large secondary explosion, just 15 feet away from CHP personnel. Despite the intense heat, CHP personnel were able to use fire extinguishers to battle the fire on and around the first victim and pull him away from the burning aircraft and vegetation. Once the Redding Fire Department assumed fire protection, Officers Smith and Wion assisted in moving the injured parties up the steep embankment to waiting ambulances. The victims were transported to a nearby medical center for treatment of several life-threatening injuries. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Highway Patrol, Officer Chad Smith for his extraordinary act of heroism extending far above and beyond the normal call of duty.