Sacramento, September 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Two pilots were killed when a contract helicopter crashed while supporting firefighting operations on the Dome Fire in California’s Yosemite National Park, officials said.
The crash occurred at around 2:55 p.m. local time on Sunday in Mariposa County, with two people aboard, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The helicopter was carrying out a water-bucket operation and was actively dropping water on the wildfire when it crashed southeast of Lake Ostrander, according to a spokesperson for California Complex Incident Management Team 3, which is overseeing the response to the Dome Fire.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash.
The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection identified one of the deceased pilots as Greg King and described him as a “dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many of us”. The identity of the second pilot has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
The National Park Service said Monday that the Dome Fire was 15 per cent contained. The fire was first reported on September 15 near Chilnualna Falls in the Wawona area and has led to the closure of some trails and backcountry areas. Yosemite National Park remains open.
The crash comes amid other recent deadly aviation accidents in the US.
Earlier this month, five people were killed and five others injured after an Amazon cargo aircraft overran a runway and crashed at Miami International Airport in Florida.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said five people were hospitalised following the crash. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said more than 60 units and approximately 200 firefighters responded to the scene.
The aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 cargo plane, had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Authorities said an investigation into the accident would be conducted.
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