Two pilots killed in firefighting Helicopter crash while battling Utah wildfire

Aug 8, 2026

Two helicopter pilots employed by Helicopter Transport Services were killed on Friday, August 7, 2026, when their Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane crashed while battling the Widemouth 2 Fire in Utah's Fishlake National Forest. The crash ignited a new fire that merged with the main blaze, expanding it to nearly 174 square miles. Extreme fire conditions delayed recovery efforts until Saturday, August 8, when crews retrieved the bodies. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash amid a deadly Western wildfire season.

Firefighting helicopter crash fatalities

▪The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter crash occurred in the Three Creeks Reservoir area, southwest of Richfield, Utah, near the active southern end of the Widemouth 2 Fire.
▪The two deceased crew members of the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter were pilots employed by Helicopter Transport Services, which was contracted by the U.S. Forest Service.
▪A Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane firefighting helicopter crashed on Friday morning, August 7, 2026, near Richfield, Utah, killing both crew members on board.

Widemouth 2 wildfire size

▪The August 7, 2026 helicopter crash ignited a new fire that merged with the Widemouth 2 Fire, expanding the total burned area to nearly 174 square miles by Saturday, August 8, 2026.
▪As of Saturday, August 8, 2026, the Widemouth 2 Fire in Utah was 24% contained, up from 19% containment reported on Friday, August 7, 2026.
▪The Widemouth 2 Fire was ignited by a lightning strike on July 27, 2026, in the Fishlake National Forest near Kanosh, Utah.

Crash site access challenges

▪On Saturday, August 8, 2026, recovery teams successfully entered the helicopter crash site, recovered the bodies of the two pilots, and escorted them to the medical examiner's office in Taylorsville, Utah.
▪Extreme fire behavior, steep terrain, and the lack of a safety zone initially prevented emergency crews from reaching the August 7, 2026 helicopter crash site for more than 24 hours.

Official tributes to victims

▪The Utah Highway Patrol and local first responders organized a westbound procession on Interstate 70 to Interstate 15 northbound to honor and escort the remains of the fallen helicopter crew.
▪Utah Governor Spencer Cox expressed condolences on social media, stating that the two deceased pilots put themselves in harm's way to protect the state.
▪Deputy Incident Commander Tyler Hecht stated that firefighting crews took a tactical pause after the August 7, 2026 helicopter crash but resumed operations to continue fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire.

NTSB investigation process

▪The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the August 7, 2026 helicopter crash, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
▪The National Transportation Safety Board will document the scene and retrieve the aircraft once the crash site is safe, and a final cause determination could take a year or more.

Western wildfire conditions

▪In Oregon, the Wrights Spring wildfire grew rapidly on Thursday, August 6, 2026, cutting off the escape route of and killing 47-year-old bulldozer operator Jason Ensign.
▪The August 7, 2026 crash marks the second fatal wildfire incident in Utah during the 2026 season, following the deaths of four firefighters battling the Knowles and Gore fires in June.
▪In Washington state, a wildfire prompted the National Park Service to close access to the Sunrise and White River areas of Mount Rainier National Park.