2 Pilots Killed in Helicopter Crash While Fighting Utah Wildfire

Sikorsky S-64 was en route to the Widemouth 2 Fire when it went down near Richfield. 

Meg Godlewski

Monday, August 10, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane firefighting helicopter [Credit: Shutterstock/Giannis Papanikos]

Key Takeaways:

Two pilots died when their firefighting helicopter, a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane, crashed in central Utah while en route to a wildfire.
The accident, which occurred near Richfield, ignited a separate fire that subsequently merged with the existing Widemouth 2 Fire.
The deceased pilots were employed by Helicopter Transport Services, and the crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA.

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Two pilots died when their firefighting helicopter crashed in central Utah while en route to a blaze in Fishlake National Forest. The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane was dispatched Friday morning to combat the wildfire.

According to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, the helicopter went down at about 10 a.m. MDT near Richfield, Utah, en route to the fire. Immediately after the accident, access to the crash site was blocked by the raging wildfire, so the condition of the crew could not be immediately determined.