Investigators are trying to determine how two helicopters collided midair while fighting fires in Southern California — resulting in a crash that killed three crew members. The accident happened Sunday evening in Cabazon, about 90 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
The firefighting helicopters, both contracted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, were responding to a blaze in a building that had spread to nearby grasslands when they collided around 7 p.m. local time, authorities said Monday evening.
Investigators arrived late Monday morning to begin assessing the scene, Eleazar Nepomuceno, National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident investigator, said at a news conference later in the day.
Officials plan to collect witness statements, check the aircraft maintenance history and examine environmental factors, Nepomuceno said.
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The two aircraft involved in the collision were a Bell 407 helicopter and a Sikorsky S-64E helicopter. The Sikorsky, a water-dropping helicopter with two crew members aboard, made a safe emergency landing after the collision.
The Bell was an “observer helicopter” coordinating the firefighting efforts, and held the three people killed in the crash, who were identified as California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Assistant Chief Joshua Bischof, 46; Cal Fire Capt. Tim Rodriguez, 44; and contract pilot Tony Sousa, 55.
“On behalf of all Californians, our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with the loved ones, friends and CAL FIRE colleagues mourning the loss of Assistant Chief Bischof, Fire Captain Rodriguez, and Pilot Sousa,” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) wrote in a statement Monday. “This terrible tragedy is a reminder of the dangers our courageous firefighters face daily while working to keep our communities safe. We owe them our deepest respect and gratitude and will always honor their bravery and sacrifices.”
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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that the president was briefed on the crash.
Share this articleShare“He and the first lady are praying for the families of the firefighters who lost their lives while bravely battling this fire,” Jean-Pierre said.
The two aircraft were among five helicopters and planes that Cal Fire and the Riverside County Fire Department dispatched in response to the Broadway Fire on Sunday evening, Cal Fire’s southern region chief David Fulcher said early Monday. The fire burned about three acres before slowing, according to an earlier update from fire officials.
The crash ignited a secondary fire that engulfed four acres before it was extinguished, Fulcher said.
Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office were among those initially deployed to the crash scene in Cabazon, an unincorporated community.
A preliminary report on the cause of the collision will be available in 15 business days, Nepomuceno said.
Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.
correction
A previous version of this article incorrectly described the location of Cabazon. It is 90 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. This version has been corrected.
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