Updated

Updated · St. George News · Aug 9

Utah Widemouth 2 Fire Reaches 114,957 Acres After Sikorsky Skycrane Crash Kills 2

Updated

Updated · St. George News · Aug 9

Utah Widemouth 2 Fire Reaches 114,957 Acres After Sikorsky Skycrane Crash Kills 2

Q: What caused a heavy-duty Sikorsky Skycrane to suddenly plummet into the rugged Utah terrain during the massive Widemouth 2 wildfire?

The cause of the Skycrane’s crash is not yet known. Officials have said only that the Sikorsky S-64 went down around 10 a.m. Friday while working the Widemouth 2 fire near Richfield, and the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. What is known is that the helicopter was flying in steep, rugged terrain on a fast-moving wildfire under severe fire weather. Incident updates warned of erratic winds, hot temperatures, dry fuels, possible dry thunderstorms and red flag conditions. Those factors can make aerial firefighting especially hazardous, but authorities have not said whether weather, terrain, mechanical failure, pilot decision-making, smoke, or another factor caused the aircraft to suddenly plummet. Some reporting indicates the helicopter had departed Richfield Airport and was airborne for only about two minutes before the crash, but that has not been presented by investigators as an explanation. The wreckage also ignited a new fire, and active flames prevented rescuers and investigators from reaching the site immediately, delaying a close examination of the aircraft. So, at this stage, any precise explanation would be speculation. The only verified answer is that the pilot and a crew member were killed when the contracted firefighting helicopter crashed, and the cause remains under investigation by the NTSB and FAA.

3 articles · Updated · St. George News · Aug 9

114,957 acres have now burned in central Utah after a Sikorsky Skycrane crashed Friday morning in Fishlake National Forest, killing the pilot and a crew member and sparking a new fire.
That new blaze spread until it merged with the existing Widemouth 2 Fire, worsening conditions around the remote crash site.
Emergency responders still could not safely reach the wreckage Saturday because the fire's growth blocked access.
The helicopter was working wildfire suppression under a U.S. Forest Service contract, and the FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.