Pilot tells what happened in Modesto Reservoir helicopter crash. ‘It was not our time to go’
Modesto businessman Bob Campana said he is saddened and humbled by what happened Saturday morning at Modesto Reservoir, where a helicopter he was piloting crashed into the water.
But he’s grateful for the happenstance that allowed him and a friend to escape the sinking helicopter and make it through the frigid water to shore.
“I just screwed up and it could have cost a friend and me our lives,” Campana said Monday. “I am grateful. It was not our time to go.”
The helicopter piloted by Campana, 71, crashed into the reservoir shortly before 11 a.m. about 150 yards off Coyote Point on the western portion of the reservoir.
Sgt. Nathan Crain of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department said a passenger in the copter suffered a broken leg and was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, where he continued to receive care. The injuries were not expected to be life-threatening.
Campana is known in Modesto as founder of the Redwood Cafe and other restaurant ventures. A recreational pilot for more than 20 years, Campana said he was flying the 2006 Enstrom 280FX Shark helicopter low over the reservoir. His 23-year-old friend, Salvatore Fratantonio of Sicily, was the passenger.
Campana said the lake’s mirrorlike water caused him to lose depth perception before the aircraft plunged into the water. After the crash, Campana said, he undid the harness on his passenger as water rushed into the cockpit of the sinking helicopter.
Campana and Fratantonio were out off the helicopter, in the cold water, when something happened that probably saved them, he said. A seat cushion, which in aviation doubles as a flotation device, popped out of the water.
Campana swam over to grab the cushion. The 71-year-old swam toward shore while pulling his friend, who held onto the flotation device.
The water was 15 or 20 feet deep at the crash site. As he swam, Campana kept testing whether his feet could touch the lake bottom. When he finally was able to stand, he pulled his friend to the shore.
Two callers who witnessed the crash called 911 to report it, Crain said. He said the water temperature was between 50 and 60 degrees, depending on depth.
Emergency units had arrived at the scene and assisted the two men. Fratantonio required surgery on his broken leg, Campana said.
“I have always wanted to be a safe pilot, and to have this occur is a pretty big hit for me,” Campana said. “It was a lapse in perception. I was not reading the conditions as I should have.”
Crain said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are responsible for investigating the incident. The sheriff’s dive team assisted with removing the aircraft from the water Sunday.
Water recreation not allowed
Tera Chumley, parks and recreation director for Stanislaus County, said Monday that water recreation at Modesto Reservoir has been closed until further notice. The park is open for shore activity.
Chumley explained that the helicopter crash prompted Modesto Irrigation District to shut down its water treatment plant at the reservoir, out of an abundance of caution. The district must go through a state agency and conduct water quality testing before the treatment plant resumes operation.
“MID will notify us when we can begin water recreation again,” Chumley said. “The water samples are sent out for testing. It could be a few days or up to a week.”
The boat ramps are closed and fishing is not allowed until testing is completed.
MID spokeswoman Melissa Williams said by email that there are no resulting impacts or safety concerns with the water delivered to the city of Modesto. “We are working closely with fellow agencies to conduct all the necessary water quality testing at Modesto Reservoir to continue to provide safe, high-quality drinking water.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 2:24 PM.
