Two helicopter pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed Sunday afternoon while conducting water drops on a wildfire at Yosemite National Park, officials say.
asserted
officials → kill → Park
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.”
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helicopter → tell → operations
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate.
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FAA → investigate → ?
The NTSB will lead the investigation,” the FAA added.
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FAA → lead → investigation
The pilots were the only people on board and were employed by the contract aircraft company Precision, according to The Associated Press.
uncertain
pilots → employ → Press
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.
asserted
Cossel → use → 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.
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Division → get → 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.
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Division → announce → Yosemite
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.
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Division → support → Forestry
“Among those who lost their lives was Greg King, a pilot for Precision Helicopters, a contract helicopter company.
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King → lose → Helicopters
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.
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King → cherish → Forestry
King’s ties to our agency run deep, with close loved ones currently employed with our Division,” the post added.
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post → run → Division
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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death → say → agency
We are mourning both pilots who bravely supported firefighting efforts, and our hearts go out to their families.
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hearts → mourn → families
We are standing alongside our staff and Greg’s loved ones as we grieve this profound tragedy together,” the post read.
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post → stand → tragedy
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.
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Johnson → work → Press
The identity of the second pilot has not yet been released.
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identity → release → pilot
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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helicopter → say → Park
“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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Team → pay → update
Roughly 580 people are fighting the Dome Fire, which started Sept. 15 near Wawona, Calif., according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
uncertain
which → fight → 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.
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Fire → note → Service
The Aporia
