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3 Killed When Helicopters Collide in Southern California

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the midair collision of two firefighter helicopters in California that killed three people on Sunday.

The incident took place near Cabazon, California [Adobe Stock]
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Key Takeaways:

  • A midair collision between two firefighter helicopters responding to a brush fire in Cabazon, California, resulted in three fatalities.
  • The accident involved a Bell helicopter, used for observation and coordination, and a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane, which made a hard landing with no injuries.
  • The three individuals killed were the Bell helicopter's contract pilot, a CAL FIRE chief, and a CAL FIRE captain, and the NTSB and FAA are investigating the incident.
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The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the midair collision of two firefighter helicopters in California that killed three people on Sunday.

According to multiple media sources, the two helicopters, a Bell and a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane, were part of a six ship response to a fire in Cabazon, a small community in Riverside County approximately 90 miles east of Los Angeles. The initial fire call was for a structure fire, but it quickly spread to the dry grass and scrub brush nearby.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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