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Pilot killed after firefighting helicopter crashes in Daegu

Published: 06 Apr. 2025, 18:11

Debris of a crashed helicopter in Daeju on April 6 [YONHAP]

A firefighting helicopter crashed in Daegu on Sunday during operations to combat a wildfire, killing the 74-year-old pilot.

The accident occurred just 11 days after a similar crash during the wildfire response in North Gyeongsang.

The helicopter went down around 3:41 p.m. in Seobyeon-dong, about 100 meters (328 ft) from the fire site, according to the Daegu Fire Department. The pilot, identified as Jeong, died at the scene.

The aircraft was a 44-year-old Bell 206L, built in 1981 by Bell Helicopter. It had a 550-liter water capacity and was leased from private firm The Sky under a seasonal contract with Daegu’s Dong District.

“This helicopter was contracted last October, and the pilot was its main operator,” a Dong District official said.

Authorities received the wildfire report at 3:12 p.m. and dispatched five helicopters, 24 vehicles and 69 personnel. The fire was extinguished by 4:18 p.m. Officials remain on-site to prevent flare-ups.

This marks the second fatal helicopter crash during a wildfire response this year. On March 26, a Sikorsky S-76A leased by Air Palace Aviation crashed in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang, killing veteran pilot Park Hyun-woo.

That aircraft, built in 1995, had a 1,200-liter capacity and was stationed in Inje, Gangwon, under a government contract.

Sunday’s investigation faces delays after the fire destroyed the black box.

Some witnesses said the helicopter may have hit power lines, but Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) found no damage or outages.

“There is a utility pole near the site, but no sign of impact or power loss,” Kepco said.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is reviewing video footage and collecting evidence to determine the cause.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY BAEK KYUNG-SEO [[email protected]]