Alaska pilot killed in helicopter crash fighting Yosemite fire
Published 11:30 am Tuesday, September 22, 2026
An Alaska pilot with decades of aviation experience was one of two people killed Sunday, Sept. 20 when a firefighting helicopter crashed while making water drops on a wildfire in California’s Yosemite National Park.
Greg King, a pilot for aviation contractor Precision, died when the Super Puma helicopter he was flying crashed southeast of Ostrander Lake during suppression work on the Dome Fire, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection (DFFP).
King had longstanding ties to Alaska’s aviation and wildland firefighting communities including years flying in Juneau and later working fire contracts from Palmer.
“He was a dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many of us,” said the DFFP Monday in an announcement. The agency said King had worked extensively alongside its firefighters and had family members who continue to work for the division.
Federal aviation administration records show the Eurocopter AS32 crashed at about 2:55 p.m. during firefighting operations. Officials managing the Dome Fire said the aircraft was actively conducting water-bucket drops when it went down. King and the second pilot, who has not been publicly identified pending family notification, were the only people aboard the aircraft.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Investigators had not yet reached the remote crash site because of conditions around the active wildfire, CNN reported. A preliminary report is generally issued within about 30 days.
King’s aviation career stretched back more than three decades.
In testimony given to the NTSB during an unrelated 2021 Alaska helicopter-crash investigation, King said he began fixed-wing training in New Zealand in 1994. He started flying tourist aircraft through the Southern Alps several years later before earning his helicopter license in 2003.
Eventually, King came to Alaska where he spent several years flying out of Juneau before joining Soloy Helicopters. By 2021, he was the company’s assistant chief pilot and check airman, and described wildfire aviation as a regular part of his work.
During a 2018 wildfire near the Maud Road shooting range, King lifted off from Palmer Airport with a tactical firefighting crew, landed near the fire, and later returned to the air alone to make water drops, according to DFFP. A year later, then flying for Soloy, the agency credited King with photographs taken while a helicopter supported response to the Rainy Pass Fire.
King later joined Precision, an aviation company based in McMinnville, Oregon, that provides helicopter support for wildland firefighting and other operations.
“We are devastated by this loss and are struggling to find the words,” Precision said in a statement, asking for privacy for the pilots’ families and its employees.
The Dome Fire started Sept. 15 near Wawona and had grown to 3,222 acres by Monday morning. It’s currently 15% contained with 581 personnel assigned, according to Yosemite National Park.
Steep, rugged terrain has made helicopters an important part of the suppression effort. Before the crash, aircraft were being used to drop water, transport firefighters, and deliver supplies to crews working far from road access.
The fire remained under full suppression Monday and Yosemite National Park was open, through several trails and areas around the fire were closed.
