Two crew members were killed when a contract helicopter supporting the Dome Fire crashed during water-drop operations in Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County, California. The aircraft, a Super Puma/Eurocopter AS332 operated by Precision, went down on Sunday afternoon while working the wildfire over steep terrain southeast of Ostrander Lake.
Precision confirmed the deaths of both people aboard, while the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation. The helicopter was assigned to aerial firefighting support, using a water bucket to suppress the blaze in rugged terrain. The crash has drawn attention to the risks of helicopter-based wildfire response, especially in mountainous areas where bucket work is carried out close to the fire line.
Initial reports identified one of the victims as Greg King, a veteran pilot, while the second crew member has not been publicly named pending family notification. Recovery operations were completed the following day, and investigators are expected to issue a preliminary report within about 30 days.