By Gillian Mohney
SFGate
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board released new details Thursday about what happened in the moments before a firefighting helicopter crashed in Yosemite National Park last month, killing both crew members.
The Airbus AS332, operated by a Cal Fire contractor, was conducting water drops to combat the Dome Fire when it crashed on Sept. 20 in the southern region of the park.
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In a new report, NTSB investigators said that on the morning of the crash, the helicopter crew successfully conducted over 25 water drops using an 800-gallon bucket on a 200-foot-long line. The crew worked for nearly three hours before returning to the base to refuel.
“During that flight, they had problems with the water bucket and upon landing, the mechanics tightened the bucket’s air pressure regulator and pressure-checked the system,” the report read.
Shortly after that maintenance, the aircraft took off again and performed three more water drops. It was immediately following the third drop that the aircraft plummeted to the ground in an area where the tree canopy reached 100-150 feet.
The NTSB reported the helicopter was seen “yawing to the left” immediately after the bucket emptied on the third drop and descended at a rate of 1,344 feet per minute. No cause of the crash has been released by the NTSB.
Video from the scene shows the bucket was released from the helicopter about five seconds before the crash, among tall trees. The helicopter cockpit was severely damaged in a fire following impact, making it impossible for data to be taken from most instruments, but the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder was recovered from the scene. Due to fire danger, the agency expects the full wreckage to be removed and examined at a future date.
The two crew members killed were identified by their Oregon -based employer, Fly Precision, as Greg King and Ryan Cutter.
“These two men brought honor to the mission. Their dedication and service will never be forgotten,” company officials wrote in an Instagram post last month.
The Dome Fire ultimately scorched 6,788 acres in the Yosemite National Park area and was declared fully contained on Oct. 17, over a month after igniting.
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