2 dead after helicopter crashes in Yosemite during Dome Fire operations

Yosemite National Park

Two members of a helicopter crew battling a wildfire in Yosemite National Park were killed when their aircraft crashed Sunday, according to the US Forest Service.

Flyprecision, an aviation company contracted to the Forest Service, posted online Sunday that two members of its team had died.

“We are devastated by this loss and are struggling to find the words,” the company said in a statement.

The Eurocopter AS32 helicopter crashed just before 3 p.m. PT Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The helicopter crew had been contracted to the Forest Service’s Price Valley Rappel Crew in Idaho, but the pilots were conducting suppression operations on the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park when the aircraft went down, according to Adrienne Freeman, a Forest Service spokesperson. They were the only people on board at the time.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, and the Forest Service will also look into the incident, according to Freeman.

The Dome Fire grew by 283 acres Saturday night, according to wildfire authorities, and was 3,222 acres and 15% contained as of Monday morning.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

优胜美地国家公园

据美国林务局称，周日，一架直升机在优胜美地国家公园扑灭山火时坠毁，机上两名机组人员遇难。

与美国林务局签订合同的航空运输公司 Flyprecision 周日在网上发布消息称，其团队中有两名成员不幸身亡。

“我们对这一损失感到无比悲痛，一时语塞，”该公司在一份声明中表示。

据美国联邦航空管理局称，一架欧洲直升机公司AS32型直升机于太平洋时间周日下午3点前坠毁。

据美国林务局发言人艾德丽安·弗里曼称，这架直升机的机组人员受雇于爱达荷州普莱斯谷速降队，但当时飞行员正在优胜美地国家公园执行穹顶山火的灭火任务，飞机坠毁时，机上只有他们两人。

据弗里曼称，美国联邦航空管理局和国家运输安全委员会将对此事展开调查，林务局也将对此事进行调查。

据野火管理部门称，穹顶山火周六晚间蔓延了 283 英亩，截至周一上午，过火面积已达 3222 英亩，控制率为 15%。

这是一则正在更新的新闻。