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11 August 2023
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Two helicopters collided mid-air while battling brush fire, Southern California, US
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Two Cal Fire helicopters collided in midair while responding to a brush fire in Cabazon, Southern California in the US, killing three people aboard one of the fire fighting aircraft on Sunday, 6 August 2023. The three people killed in the crash were identified as California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Assistant Chief Joshua Bischof, aaged 46, Cal Fire Captain Tim Rodriguez, aged 44 and contract pilot Tony Sousa, aged 55.
The aircraft that crashed was a Bell 407 helicopter that was responsible for observation and coordination, officials said. The second helicopter, a Sikorsky S-64E, also called a Skycrane, was able to make a safe landing with two people on board.
Bischof, who was based at the Hemet Ryan Air Attack Base, had been a member of the force for 24 years and Rodriguez had been with the force for 19 years, according to fire officials.
Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department resources had been dispatched to a structure fire near the intersection of Broadway Street and South Ronda Avenue in Cabazon at 18h03 on Sunday. That fire spread into the surrounding vegetation and a full wildland fire dispatch was initiated, which included fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
The first helicopter that landed safely after the collision typically carries retardant or water, officials said. The other chopper, which was used for observation, crashed into a hillside after the impact. The crash caused an additional four-acre fire, which was extinguished.
The sky was clear and there were breezy winds typical of the Cabazon area. The Bell crew's mission was to tell helicopters where to make drops, working in conjunction with the crew of an airplane flying above all others.
“On behalf of all Californians, our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with the loved ones, friends and Cal Fire colleagues mourning the loss of Assistant Chief Bischof, Fire Captain Rodriguez and Pilot Sousa,” Gov Gavin Newsom said. “This terrible tragedy is a reminder of the dangers our courageous fire fighters face daily while working to keep our communities safe. We owe them our deepest respect and gratitude and will always honour their bravery and sacrifices.”
Bischof, who was only recently promoted to assistant fire chief in Riverside County, had spent years in planes and helicopters directing aerial attacks of fires. He routinely posted photos from high above fires.
Rodriguez was a fire captain with Hemet Ryan Air Attack Base. He had a wife and children, according to a family member who asked not to be identified. “His life was fire fighting,” the family member said. “He loved doing it, and he loved training and training people.”
Fewer details were known about Sousa but a union known as Storey County Professional Fire Fighters posted on Facebook that he was among the victims.
Cal Fire has the largest civil aerial fire fighting fleet in the world, including more than 60 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
Sources: Fire Service Line of Duty Deaths
The aircraft that crashed was a Bell 407 helicopter that was responsible for observation and coordination, officials said. The second helicopter, a Sikorsky S-64E, also called a Skycrane, was able to make a safe landing with two people on board.
Bischof, who was based at the Hemet Ryan Air Attack Base, had been a member of the force for 24 years and Rodriguez had been with the force for 19 years, according to fire officials.
Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department resources had been dispatched to a structure fire near the intersection of Broadway Street and South Ronda Avenue in Cabazon at 18h03 on Sunday. That fire spread into the surrounding vegetation and a full wildland fire dispatch was initiated, which included fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
The first helicopter that landed safely after the collision typically carries retardant or water, officials said. The other chopper, which was used for observation, crashed into a hillside after the impact. The crash caused an additional four-acre fire, which was extinguished.
The sky was clear and there were breezy winds typical of the Cabazon area. The Bell crew's mission was to tell helicopters where to make drops, working in conjunction with the crew of an airplane flying above all others.
“On behalf of all Californians, our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with the loved ones, friends and Cal Fire colleagues mourning the loss of Assistant Chief Bischof, Fire Captain Rodriguez and Pilot Sousa,” Gov Gavin Newsom said. “This terrible tragedy is a reminder of the dangers our courageous fire fighters face daily while working to keep our communities safe. We owe them our deepest respect and gratitude and will always honour their bravery and sacrifices.”
Bischof, who was only recently promoted to assistant fire chief in Riverside County, had spent years in planes and helicopters directing aerial attacks of fires. He routinely posted photos from high above fires.
Rodriguez was a fire captain with Hemet Ryan Air Attack Base. He had a wife and children, according to a family member who asked not to be identified. “His life was fire fighting,” the family member said. “He loved doing it, and he loved training and training people.”
Fewer details were known about Sousa but a union known as Storey County Professional Fire Fighters posted on Facebook that he was among the victims.
Cal Fire has the largest civil aerial fire fighting fleet in the world, including more than 60 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
Sources: Fire Service Line of Duty Deaths
