Greg King and Ryan Cutter, two helicopter pilots employed by private firefighting company Fly Precision, were killed Sunday when their aircraft went down during wildfire suppression operations in Mariposa County, leaving the firefighting community reeling.
The two men were using the helicopter's water bucket to help knock down the Dome Fire, which has burned more than 3,400 acres in the Sierra Nevada near Yosemite National Park, when the aircraft crashed. Benjamin Cossel, a spokesperson for the Federal Complex Incident Management Team overseeing the response, told KCRA that King and Cutter were actively engaged in suppression work at the time. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have opened investigations. No findings have been released.
King, 56, was described by colleagues as a towering figure in aerial firefighting. Jones, Fly Precision's chief of aviation, called King a legend in the Alaska flying community.
"Greg was one of the best of the best in the community for his piloting skills, his judgment, and his personality."
Fly Precision's leaders did not elaborate on King's career history, but the weight of that praise, from the company's own chief of aviation, speaks to how deeply the loss cuts inside a small, high-risk profession.
Cutter, whose age was not disclosed, appeared to work closely with King. In August, Cutter shared a photo on Facebook of himself piloting an aircraft near a wildfire, a picture King had taken. When a commenter wrote, "Just can't keep your feet on the ground can ya," Cutter replied with a single word: "Facts."
That exchange now reads as a quiet reminder of the stakes these pilots accepted every time they lifted off.
Fly Precision released a statement announcing the deaths and asking for space for the families and crew. The company's words were direct:
"It is with unimaginable sadness and broken hearts that we share the loss of two beloved members of our team. We are devastated by this loss and are struggling to find the words. We ask for privacy and compassion for their families and our team as we grieve this tremendous loss."
The company also asked the public to keep the families and the wider Fly Precision team in their thoughts and prayers.
An agency involved in the firefighting response, not identified by name in available reporting, called the loss "devastating" and said it was mourning both pilots.
"We are mourning both pilots who bravely supported firefighting efforts, and our hearts go out to their families."
The Dome Fire continues to spread through the rugged terrain of Mariposa County. Hundreds of personnel are working to contain it. Despite the fire's size, no evacuation orders or warnings had been issued at the time of reporting.
FEMA data shows three on-duty firefighters have died in California in 2025. It is unclear whether that figure includes King and Cutter or reflects a count taken before the crash.
The helicopter involved was identified as a Eurocopter AS32, though the exact model designation was not clarified further. Key questions remain unanswered: what caused the aircraft to go down, whether mechanical failure or environmental conditions played a role, and what the full timeline of the flight looked like before the crash.
Those answers will fall to the FAA and NTSB investigations now underway. For the families of Greg King and Ryan Cutter, and for the tight-knit crews who fly these missions, the answers will not change what was lost.
King and Cutter did the kind of work most people never think about until a wildfire threatens their town. They flew into smoke and heat so others could stay safe on the ground. That deserves more than a headline, it deserves a country that remembers.
