"A fire helicopter crew didn't follow Cal Fire protocol before crashing into another helicopter, killing three people above a Cabazon wildfire in 2023, according to a report federal officials published Thursday, Sept. 11. The crew of the Sikorsky S64 Skycrane responding to the Broadway fire on Aug. 6, 2023, failed to contact a supervisor before flying above their approved altitude and then descending rapidly into congested airspace, where the helicopter crashed into a Bell 407 spotter helicopter also responding to the fire,"
"All three people aboard the Bell died in the crash, including Riverside County Assistant Chief John Bischof, 46, who had 24 years of fire service; Capt. Tim Rodriguez, 44, who had 19 years of fire service and pilot Tony Allen Sousa, 55, who worked for Air Shasta Rotor & Wing in Redding. The Skycrane landed safely with two people on board. Gary C. Robb, a Kansas City-based aviation attorney representing Rodriguez's and Bischof's families, said he is satisfied with the NTSB's findings."
NTSB found that a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane crew responding to the Broadway fire on Aug. 6, 2023, did not contact a supervisor before exceeding their approved altitude and then descended rapidly into congested airspace. The Skycrane collided with a Bell 407 spotter helicopter over the Cabazon wildfire. All three people aboard the Bell died: Riverside County Assistant Chief John Bischof, Capt. Tim Rodriguez, and pilot Tony Allen Sousa. The Skycrane landed safely with two on board. Limited radio clearance likely tied to mountainous terrain prevented timely supervisor contact. Wrongful death litigation has been enabled and seeks accountability and prevention.
Read at www.pressenterprise.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]