NTSB releases new details of deadly Yosemite National Park firefighter helicopter crash

Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times on Oct 30, 2026

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LOS ANGELES — The firefighting helicopter that crashed in Yosemite National Park last month had problems with its water bucket during an earlier flight, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report. The report did not determine the cause of the Sept. 20 crash, which killed pilots Greg King and Ryan Cutter as they battled the Dome fire in a remote area of the national park.

The pilots of the Eurocopter AS332 experienced issues with the 800-gallon bucket attached to the helicopter earlier in the day, when they performed 25 water drops during a nearly three-hour firefighting flight, the report states. Upon landing, mechanics tightened its air pressure regulator and pressure checked the system.

Then the pilots received a request to perform more water drops. They made three dips at Ostrander Lake, and the crash took place during the third drop, according to flight data and firefighter cellphone videos analyzed in the report.

That water drop began around 1:56 p.m. After the pilots emptied the bucket, the helicopter swung to the left and then rapidly descended, the report states. The bucket appeared to drop almost vertically and struck the ground; the cargo hook was then released, dropping the 200-foot cable that held the bucket, according to documents.

The helicopter moved forward, then crashed into trees and struck the ground, coming to rest on its left side, the report states.

Most of the helicopter was consumed by fire after the crash, so no meaningful data could be gleaned from the majority of the cockpit gauges, according to the report.

The NTSB is continuing to investigate the crash.

The Dome fire scorched more than 6,700 acres after it was ignited by an abandoned campfire near the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park on Sept. 15.