Two pilots killed in Utah helicopter crash during wildfire suppression
A Sikorsky Skycrane operated by Helicopter Transport Services crashed while fighting a fire in Fishlake National Forest, killing both pilots, officials said.
Two pilots died when a Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter they were flying crashed while battling a wildfire in Utah's Fishlake National Forest on Friday morning, Sevier County officials confirmed on Saturday. The aircraft, contracted by the U.S. Forest Service through Helicopter Transport Services, went down amid the blaze, and the impact ignited a new fire that merged with the existing blaze, which has now burned roughly 174 square miles (about 451 square kilometers).
Initial attempts to reach the crash site were hampered by the fire, but crews accessed the area on Saturday and verified the fatalities, according to the Sevier County sheriff and coroner. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident once it can examine the wreckage, a process that could take a year or more.
The incident occurs as multiple wildfires continue to affect the western United States, including fires in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia that have forced evacuations and prompted closures in national parks.