{"id":3519,"date":"2026-07-14T06:33:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T06:33:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3519"},"modified":"2026-07-14T06:33:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T06:33:30","slug":"pilot-killed-in-helicopter-crash-helping-to-fight-colorado-wildfire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3519","title":{"rendered":"Pilot killed in helicopter crash helping to fight Colorado wildfire"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<section>\n<p>GUNNISON, Colo. (AP) \u2014 A helicopter helping fight a Colorado wildfire has crashed into a reservoir, killing the pilot, authorities said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3517\">Florida man arrested again for posing as nurse after sergeant recognizes him on the news<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The aircraft was reported down Sunday in the Silver Jack Reservoir and the pilot\u2019s body was recovered by divers. The Gunnison County Sheriff\u2019s Office identified the pilot as 56-year-old Nicholas Dale of Sooke, British Columbia.<\/p>\n<p>A procession of law enforcement vehicles carried Dale\u2019s body from Gunnison to Grand Junction on Monday. The convoy was greeted by residents who wanted to show their support for the pilot and the thousands of firefighters assigned to blazes burning across the West.<\/p>\n<p>Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said state flags will fly at half-staff when a memorial service is scheduled for Dale, a contract pilot who leaves behind a wife and two children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are committed to supporting our brave firefighters and their families, and the state stands ready to support any investigation into this tragic incident,\u201d Polis said.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was a Kaman Aerospace K-1200 helicopter that \u201ccrashed under unknown circumstances, becoming inverted,\u201d according to its preliminary report. Federal registration data shows the helicopter was owned by Georgia-based Helicopter Express, which has a fleet of nearly four dozen helicopters used for firefighting, heavy lifting and construction projects.<\/p>\n<p>The company in a statement issued Monday confirmed Dale\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a heartbreaking loss for everyone at Helicopter Express and throughout the aerial firefighting community,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cNick\u2019s dedication, professionalism, and commitment to protecting others will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3515\">Glendale woman found dead after going out with man she met online, police say<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The pilot, the only person on board, was assisting firefighters with the Gold Mountain Fire, which has grown to about 57 square miles (148 square kilometers) in southwestern Colorado. It was 11% contained as of Monday.<\/p>\n<p>The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, the FAA said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, wildland firefighters in Colorado gathered to pay tribute to three of their own who died after they were trapped by flames on the Colorado-Utah border.<\/p>\n<p>Many large fires are still going strong across the West. They are scattered around Colorado, Utah and New Mexico while there are wildfires in eight other states \u2014 from Alaska to Arizona.<\/p>\n<p>Prolonged hot and dry conditions this week will bring fire weather concerns, the National Weather Service said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3513\">Pima County warns of Nancy Guthrie scam requesting money<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Authorities say a helicopter helping fight a Colorado wildfire has crashed into a reservoir, killing the pilot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pilot killed in helicopter crash helping to fight Colorado wildfire - 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