Two pilots were killed Sunday afternoon when the helicopter they were flying against the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park crashed in rugged backcountry, fire officials and federal aviation authorities said. The pair were the only people on board.
The aircraft, a Eurocopter AS32 Super Puma, was working a water-bucket mission over the fire when it went down southeast of Ostrander Lake at about 3 p.m. on September 20, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Benjamin Cossel, a spokesperson for California Incident Management Team 3, which is directing the response to the blaze, said the crew had been repeatedly dropping water on the fire when the crash happened.
Recovery teams retrieved the remains of both pilots on Monday afternoon, Cossel told ABC News.
Pilots identified
Their employer, Precision Helicopters, identified the men as Greg King and Ryan Cutter. The company operated the Super Puma under a contract with the U.S. Forest Service, and the two pilots flew together as a crew based in Idaho’s Payette National Forest, ABC30 in Fresno reported.
King, a contract helicopter pilot from Alaska, had previously flown wildfire missions under contract with the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection. He lived in Palmer, Alaska, with his wife and was stepfather to two children, according to ABC30. The Alaska agency described him as a “dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many of us,” and said some of his loved ones currently work for the division.
“It is with unimaginable sadness and broken hearts that we share the loss of two beloved members of our team,” Precision wrote in a social media statement on Sunday. “We are devastated by this loss and are struggling to find the words.”
Andy Jones, chief of aviation for the Alaska forestry division, worked alongside King and told ABC30 that King ranked among the most respected aerial firefighters in the industry. “Greg is easily one of the best in the country,” Jones said.
A demanding mission in steep terrain
According to fire officials quoted by ABC30, the helicopter had taken off from the Batterson Helipad outside Oakhurst and was drawing water from Ostrander Lake for its drops. The heavy-lift Super Puma had been supporting crews in some of the steepest ground on the fire, ferrying firefighters, inserting rappel crews into remote areas and dropping water.
The Guardian reported that the crew was working alongside a specialized wildland team that rappels from helicopters to reach terrain that cannot otherwise be accessed. Ostrander Lake sits roughly 9 miles south of El Capitan and about 7 miles northeast of Wawona.
“We’re all family here. This is our family. We’ve lost family members,” Cossel said.
The cause of the crash has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with assistance from the FAA, and a preliminary report is expected within about 30 days, ABC30 reported.
The Dome Fire
The Dome Fire ignited on September 15 in wilderness northeast of Wawona. By Monday evening it had grown to 3,420 acres and was 15% contained, according to fire officials. Nearly 600 ground and air personnel have been assigned to the blaze, which is burning across steep, hard-to-reach country where water-dropping helicopters have played a central role.
The National Park Service said Monday that the fire was still spreading at a moderate rate and that spot fires igniting ahead of the main front were a major challenge for crews pursuing full suppression. Officials said no infrastructure was under threat. The park remains open, although some trails have been closed because of the fire, and the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
Mariposa County Supervisor Jenni Kiser offered condolences on social media, writing that “tragedies like this are never far from home.”
The deaths add to a difficult year for wildland firefighting. At least 14 people have died while helping to fight wildfires in the United States in 2026, the highest number since 2022, the Guardian reported, citing government figures. Earlier this year, three firefighters were killed battling Colorado’s Knowles Fire, and a fourth member of the crew later died of injuries.
Precision Helicopters posted a tribute to King and Cutter on Monday night. “These two men brought honor to the mission. Their dedication and service will never be forgotten. Rest in peace,” the company wrote.
