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NTSB: California Firefighting Helicopter Collision Caused by Pilot’s Rapid Descent
A fatal midair collision between two firefighting helicopters in 2023 was caused by a pilot flying above the cleared altitude and then making a rapid descent into congested airspace, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The accident occurred on August 6, 2023, during the Broadway Fire near Cabazon in Riverside County. Investigators found that a Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane, assigned as a helitanker, entered the fire’s airspace at 4,000 feet, well above its cleared maximum altitude of 2,500 feet. In attempting to correct altitude with a rapid descent, the Skycrane collided with a Bell 407 helicopter, which was on a coordinator training flight.
The Skycrane’s wheel assembly struck the Bell’s main rotor just three seconds after beginning its descent. The impact caused an explosion that separated the Bell’s tail boom, rotor, mast, and transmission, sending the fuselage crashing into the ground. All three people on board the Bell were killed.
The Skycrane sustained only minor damage and made an emergency landing in a nearby field. The two crew members inside were uninjured.
The NTSB report noted that communication difficulties likely contributed to the crash, as mountainous terrain disrupted radio signals between the helicopters and the Air Tactical Group Supervisor. The board concluded that the Skycrane pilot should have informed air command of the inability to maintain the assigned altitude and warned of the aggressive descent.
Both helicopters had departed from Hemet-Ryan Airport, east of Los Angeles, and were among six aircraft battling the wildfire. The Broadway Fire began when a structure fire spread into nearby vegetation, prompting a multi-agency aerial response.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
September 12, 2025
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