Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 13

Colorado Wildfire Helicopter Crash Kills 56-Year-Old Pilot on 36,000-Acre Gold Mountain Fire

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 13

Colorado Wildfire Helicopter Crash Kills 56-Year-Old Pilot on 36,000-Acre Gold Mountain Fire

Q: Why did a specialized firefighting helicopter suddenly crash during a critical mission?

The helicopter’s sudden crash has not yet been explained. Authorities say the cause is still unknown, and the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating. What is established is that Nicholas Dale’s Kaman K-1200 K-MAX went down in Silver Jack Reservoir after 5 p.m., less than an hour after takeoff, while working the Gold Mountain wildfire. He was the only person aboard. Another pilot tried to help but was reportedly kept back by electrical current from the submerged aircraft. The K-MAX is a specialized heavy-lift helicopter widely used in wildfire suppression, but that does not rule out failure or operational hazards. Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage, maintenance records, mission details, pilot communications, and the fire environment, including weather, smoke, wind, visibility, terrain and any external-load firefighting operations underway at the time. Conditions around the Gold Mountain fire were severe. The blaze had grown to more than 36,000 acres amid extreme heat, dryness and wind in western Colorado, all of which can make low-level firefighting flights more dangerous. Those factors may become part of the inquiry, but no agency has said they caused the crash. There is also no public evidence so far that drones, a collision, or a specific mechanical problem brought the aircraft down. Until investigators release preliminary findings, any explanation for why the helicopter crashed would be speculative.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 13

Nicholas Dale, a 56-year-old Canadian pilot from Sooke, British Columbia, died Sunday after his Kaman K-1200 helicopter crashed into Silver Jack Reservoir while working the Gold Mountain fire near Cimarron.
The helicopter was the only aircraft occupant and went down after 5 p.m. in the Uncompahgre National Forest; Montrose County's dive team recovered Dale's remains from the submerged wreckage that evening.
FAA and NTSB investigators are examining the cause, which was not immediately clear. FlightAware data showed the helicopter had arrived in Colorado on July 6 and had been airborne less than an hour Sunday.
The Gold Mountain fire has burned more than 36,000 acres since June 27 near Ouray. On Monday, Dale's body was escorted about 130 miles through three counties as mourners lined the route.