Two pilots killed in helicopter crash fighting wildfire in California

Two pilots were killed when a contract helicopter crashed while supporting firefighting operations on the Dome Fire, a wildfire in Yosemite National Park, California, the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection said Monday (US local time).

According to the agency, the crash occurred at about 2:55 p.m. local time (2155 GMT) in Mariposa County on Sunday, with two people aboard. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

The helicopter



was performing a water bucket operation and actively dropping water on the fire when it crashed southeast of Lake Ostrander in Yosemite, according to spokesperson for California Complex Incident Management Team 3, which is overseeing the Dome Fire response.

The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection identified one of the deceased pilots as Greg King, calling him a “dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many of us.” The identity of the second pilot is being withheld pending next-of-kin notifications, the agency said.