ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – An Alaskan pilot for a contracted helicopter company was among two killed Sunday in a helicopter crash while fighting a wildfire in California.
Greg King, a pilot for Precision Helicopters, died while helping fight the Dome Fire in Yosemite, California, according to Alaska Wildland Fire Information.
King was one of two people killed in the crash. The second pilot’s name is currently being withheld out of respect for family notifications.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Andy Jones, chief of aviation for the State of Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, told Alaska’s News Source in an interview Monday that King was held in high regard in the state.
“Greg was one of the best of the best in the community for his piloting skills, his judgment, and his personality,” Jones said. “He’s a legend in Alaska.”
King leaves behind a wife and kids; Jones said his wife works for the division, and said that additional connection makes his death even harder to process.
“It really does hit home pretty hard for all of us here at the division and in the state,” Jones said.
Jones added that he believed King reached the position he held by proving his skillset as an aerial firefighter, and doing so without complaint.
“You don’t get there without having an amazing attitude, kind personality, and good skill sets,” Jones said. “From an aviation world, he just [was] a good human being.”
The Alaska Wildland Fire Information website posted a statement on King’s death Monday, calling him a “cherished member” of the wildland fire family in Alaska.
“This is a devastating loss for our agency and the entire wildland firefighting community. Greg was a dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many of us,” the agency wrote. “We are mourning both pilots who bravely supported firefighting efforts, and our hearts go out to their families.”
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