Second pilot identified in fatal Yosemite firefighting helicopter crash
Precision has named Ryan Cutter as the second pilot killed in a firefighting helicopter crash in Yosemite National Park on Sunday.
A contract aviation company has identified the second pilot killed in a weekend helicopter crash in Yosemite National Park as Ryan Cutter.
Cutter and fellow pilot Greg King were both employed by Precision and were carrying out water drops on a wildfire inside the park when their AS332 Super Puma went down near Ostrander Lake shortly before 2 p.m. on Sunday. The two men were the only people on board.
In a social media post that included photographs of the pilots, Precision said the pair "brought honor to the mission" and that their dedication and service would not be forgotten.
Ostrander Lake lies roughly 9 miles (14 kilometers) south of Yosemite's El Capitan and about 7 miles (11 kilometers) northeast of Wawona, California.
Authorities have not yet released details about the circumstances of the crash, which will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. Precision did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
On Monday, firefighters, law enforcement officers and other first responders took part in a procession honoring Cutter and King, lining the route to a local airport as the pilots' remains were transported home to their families.
The pilots had been contracted to work with an Idaho-based wildland firefighting crew that specializes in helitack rappelling — using ropes to descend from helicopters into terrain that cannot otherwise be reached. They had recently been assigned to assist with the Dome Fire, which started Sept. 15 near Wawona, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The blaze has burned about 4.7 square miles (12.3 square kilometers) and is roughly 15 percent contained.
The Super Puma can carry eight or more rappellers at a time and can also be used to deploy water buckets or specially mounted tanks.
At least 14 people have died while helping fight wildfires in the United States this year, the highest toll since 2022, when 25 deaths were recorded, according to government reports.