Overview
- The aircraft supporting the Gold Mountain Fire went down in Silver Jack Reservoir at about 5:17 p.m. on Sunday, and Montrose County dive teams later recovered the sole occupant’s body.
- Authorities identified the pilot as 56-year-old Nicholas Dale of Sooke, British Columbia, and Helicopter Express confirmed he is survived by a wife and two children.
- Federal Aviation Administration data shows the helicopter was a Kaman K-1200 K-MAX owned by Helicopter Express and the FAA’s preliminary report says the aircraft became inverted; the NTSB will lead the formal investigation.
- The Gold Mountain Fire remains large and only lightly contained, with reports placing the burn at roughly 35,000–37,000 acres, and crews continue combined air and ground operations in difficult conditions.
- Officials and communities have honored the pilot with a law-enforcement procession and a planned memorial with flags at half-staff, and the crash is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of aerial firefighting safety and contracting practices.