2 pilots killed in firefighting helicopter crash near Yosemite

Two helicopter pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed Sunday afternoon while conducting water drops on a wildfire at Yosemite National Park, officials say.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Global News in a statement that “a Eurocopter AS32 helicopter crashed in Mariposa, California, around 2:55 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 20, during firefighting operations.”

“Two people were on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation,” the FAA added.

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The pilots were the only people on board and were employed by the contract aircraft company Precision, according to The Associated Press.

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The Super Puma helicopter had been using a water bucket to help suppress the fire when it went down near a lake, said Benjamin Cossel, a spokesperson with the Federal Complex Incident Management Team overseeing the firefighting response.

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One of the pilots was Greg King, who used to work for the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection and fought several wildland fires in that state before moving to Precision, the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection announced in a Facebook post.

“It is with heavy hearts and deep sorrow that the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection announces the tragic loss of two pilots following an aviation accident on Sunday, September 20, 2026, on the Dome Fire in Yosemite, CA. A contract helicopter supporting wildland firefighting operations crashed, resulting in the deaths of both individuals on board,” Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection wrote.

“Among those who lost their lives was Greg King, a pilot for Precision Helicopters, a contract helicopter company. King was a cherished member of our wildland fire family, having served on wildland fires in Alaska and extensively alongside the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection. King’s ties to our agency run deep, with close loved ones currently employed with our Division,” the post added.

The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection said that King’s death is a “devastating loss for our agency and the entire wildland firefighting community.”

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“Greg was a dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many of us. We are mourning both pilots who bravely supported firefighting efforts, and our hearts go out to their families. We are standing alongside our staff and Greg’s loved ones as we grieve this profound tragedy together,” the post read.

King’s close relatives work at the agency and gave their permission to release his name, Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection agency spokesperson Emery Johnson told The Associated Press. The identity of the second pilot has not yet been released.

The California Incident Management Team 3 said a procession of first responders accompanied the two pilots killed on Sunday when their helicopter crashed on the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park.

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“Firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders from across the country were on hand to pay their respects along the procession route which ran from the Mariposa Airport to Modesto,” the California Incident Management Team said in an update.

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Roughly 580 people are fighting the Dome Fire, which started Sept. 15 near Wawona, Calif., according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The California Incident Management Team noted that the Dome Fire is currently 15 per cent contained and mapped at 3,388 acres under the command of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and California Complex Incident Management Team 3.