Two pilots were killed when a helicopter crashed on Sunday, 20 September, while taking part in efforts to extinguish the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park, California. The pilots were the only people on board the helicopter, which went down south-east of Ostrander Lake while carrying out water drops. Firefighting officials said the helicopter was a Super Puma and was using a bucket to carry and drop water over the flames when the accident occurred.
US investigation launched into cause of helicopter crash
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board announced that they had opened an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. The pilots worked for Precision, the company contracted to operate the aircraft. One of them was identified as Greg King, a former employee of the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The deaths brought to five the number of pilots killed this year in helicopter accidents while fighting fires in Colorado, Utah and California. The Dome Fire, which began on 15 September near Wawona, had covered 3,222 acres, with 15% contained and 581 personnel involved in firefighting efforts.
The accident came amid a severe fire season following a historic decline in snowpack, unprecedented temperatures and decades-long drought in the western United States.
