Riverside helicopter crash kills Cal Fire captain, assistant chief and contract pilot
Two Cal Fire employees and a contract pilot died Sunday night after their firefighting helicopter hit another chopper in midair near Riverside County, according to emergency officials and media reports on Monday. The two helicopters were fighting the Broadway Fire near the town of Cabazon.
The three men who died were 46-year-old Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, 44-year-old Capt. Tim Rodriguez and 55-year-old contract pilot Tony Sousa, Cal Fire spokesperson Capt. Chris Vurno confirmed Monday.
“It is with great sadness that #CALFIRE shares the tragic loss of our employees who perished in a midair collision yesterday evening,” the department posted on its social media accounts on Monday.
In the desert about 85 miles east of Los Angeles, a Sikorsky S-64E and the smaller Bell 407 (which carried Bischof, Rodriguez and Sousa) worked together to contain the Broadway Fire, which at the time covered only about 3 acres, the Associated Press reported. The Bell helicopter was being used for observation and coordination, said Cal Fire Southern Region Chief David Fulcher at a news conference early Monday. The Sikorsky can drop water or retardant on fires.
While battling the blaze, the two helicopters collided just before 7 p.m. The larger Sikorsky landed safely, but the Bell crashed and caused an additional 4-acre fire, which was extinguished, according to Associated Press reporting.
“Although this was a tragic event, we are also thankful today that it wasn’t worse,” Fulcher said at the conference.
Bischof, Rodriguez and Sousa’s mission was to tell other helicopters where to drop flame retardant. They worked together with the crew of an airplane flying above all others, Cordova said. That aircrew’s role is called “air attack.”
“They kind of work together,” Cordova said. “The air attack is the main boss up in the sky and the helicopter coordinator assists with the air attack and helps out with the helicopters.”
Sousa was flying under contract with Cal Fire. The Sikorsky and its two-person crew were also under contract.
Cal Fire operates its own fleet of about 60 aircraft but also contracts with commercial companies for additional helicopters and airplanes that are on standby at bases statewide.
Cordova said in-flight collisions are rare but have occurred during previous California wildfires. He recalled two instances over several decades but did not immediately have details.
The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
