Two pilots killed in helicopter crash while fighting wildfire near Yosemite National Park
Two contract helicopter pilots died when their Super Puma helicopter crashed on September 21, 2026, while conducting water drops on the Dome Fire near Ostrander Lake in Yosemite National Park. The crash is under investigation by the FAA and NTSB. One pilot was identified as Greg King, a former Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection aviator.
9
Divergence score
2 outlets covered it, splitting into 2 framing camps across 2 bias groups.
2 camps
2 bias groups
The spectrum · how 2 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
Washington Times
Reuters
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
Washington Times
Firefighting helicopter crashes near Yosemite, killing both pilots
detailed incident report with pilot background · negative
Reuters
Two pilots die in helicopter crash fighting California wildfire
brief factual bulletin · neutral
First to report
- Reutersfirst
- Washington Times+5.6 h
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
The split, in one line
Washington Times provides extensive detail on pilot identity and wildfire context, while Reuters offers a brief factual bulletin covering only the core incident.
How each outlet covered it
Lightly covered so far
Too few outlets to map a left-right split. Here is each take as it stands.
Sparse coverage · 2 outlets
“Two pilots die in helicopter crash fighting California wildfire”
“Firefighting helicopter crashes near Yosemite, killing both pilots”
6 tracked claims across 2 outlets
Fact ledger
All6Claimed5Corroborated1
1/2
Claimed
The helicopter was a Super Puma using a water bucket near a lake when it crashed.
Corroborated
Disputed
5 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger