3 killed after midair collision of firefighting helicopters
Three people died on Sunday after two helicopters collided while fighting a fire in Riverside County, California, according to emergency officials.
At a news conference early Monday, Cal Fire Southern Region Chief David Fulcher said one of the helicopters landed safely, while the other did not.
“Unfortunately, the second helicopter crashed and tragically all three members perished, which included one Cal Fire Division chief, one Cal Fire captain and one contract client pilot,” Fulcher said. He did not identify the victims of the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
Fulcher said the helicopters were deployed to put out a fire near the intersection of Broadway Street and South Ronda Avenue in Cabazon.
Fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft were dispatched after the fire extended into the vegetation, Fulcher added.
“Although this was a tragic event, we are also thankful today that it wasn’t worse,” Fulcher said at the news conference. “The individuals in the first helicopter were able to able to land safely without incident and no one else was hurt.”
-The Associated Press contributed reporting.