Firefighting Chinook crashes in Idaho

ROTAK released a statement in response to the incident: “It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that on July 21, 2022, at approximately 3:30pm a CH-47D series Chinook helicopter operated by ROTAK Helicopter Service with two pilots onboard was involved in an accident near Salmon, Idaho. Emergency medical teams are responding to the scene. ROTAK is working closely with all appropriate agencies and will issue a full statement as information is confirmed.”

The aircraft had been deployed to support firefighting efforts in tackling the Moose Fire, a currently burning wildfire that has burned over 20,000 acres of land in the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

Further details have not yet been published, including the condition of the pilots.

ROTAK acquired two former US Army Chinooks from Oregon’s Columbia Helicopters in July, for use in firefighting and line maintenance operations. According to a report by AerialFire on 1 July, one of the aircraft was deployed to Alaska to conduct firefighting operations there, while the other remained somewhere in the ‘Lower 48’ US states.

The incident is one of a number of crashes by firefighting aircraft in the past month, in the US, Portugal and Greece.