A Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane Utah crash has claimed the lives of two pilots who were conducting aerial water drops on a wildfire in central Utah, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) now investigating after wildfire conditions have so far prevented investigators from reaching the wreckage. The heavy-lift helicopter went down at approximately 10:40 local time on 7 August 2026 while supporting ground crews battling the Widemouth 2 Fire near Richfield, Utah.
The aircraft was operated by Helicopter Transport Services under a contract with the US Forest Service. Both people aboard the helicopter were killed. Their remains were recovered the day after the crash and taken to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner.
Final moments of the S-64 Skycrane Utah crash
According to FireRescue1, the helicopter had taken off from Richfield Municipal Airport at 10:21 a.m. and crashed 23 minutes later. In the seconds before impact, the crew reported having a problem and issued a Mayday call, according to KUTV, before the aircraft struck rising terrain near Cove Fort.
The impact ignited a separate fire near the wreckage. Steep terrain and the active wildfire initially prevented emergency crews from reaching the site, forcing responders to withdraw immediately after the crash. Crews reached the location the following day and confirmed both pilots had died.
A post-crash fire consumed much of the aircraft, KUTV reported, and NTSB investigators said examinations of the airframe, engines and other components were still pending. NTSB investigators arrived in Utah on 8 July, but wildfire conditions have so far prevented them from accessing the wreckage.
Both pilots identified; tributes paid
One pilot was identified as Miles Elliott of Porterville, California. Elliott was a helicopter and fixed-wing pilot who served on the Porterville Municipal Airport Committee and volunteered with the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles programme, which introduces young people to aviation. The second pilot was Christopher Andersen, 64, of Stateline, Nevada, KUTV reported.
Porterville Mayor Greg Meister paid tribute to Elliott in a statement released by the city. ‘Miles represented the very best of Porterville,’ Meister said. ‘He was a devoted father, pilot, entrepreneur, photographer, mentor, and an incredibly gifted person who used his talents to serve others and give back to the community he called home.’
Utah Governor Spencer Cox also paid tribute to both pilots. ‘They put themselves in harm’s way to protect our state and gave their lives in that service,’ Cox said. ‘Utah will never forget their courage, their service, and their sacrifice.’
Wildfire context and aircraft type
The Widemouth 2 Fire was started by lightning on 27 July in the Fishlake National Forest. By 10 July, it had burned more than 118,000 acres and remained only about one-quarter contained. The scale of the blaze reflects the conditions that place aerial firefighting crews at sustained risk throughout the western US fire season.
The Sikorsky S-64 is a twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter widely used in aerial firefighting operations. The aircraft can be equipped with a large tank that allows crews to pick up water directly and make repeated drops over active fire lines. The S-64 Skycrane Utah crash adds to a grim record of fatalities in contract aerial firefighting, a sector that operates under significant pressure as wildfires grow in frequency and intensity.
The NTSB investigation remains in its early stages, with physical examination of the airframe and engines still outstanding pending access to the crash site.
