RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif . - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a mid-air crash involving firefighting helicopters that resulted in the deaths of a pilot and two firefighters.

Tony Sousa, a pilot for Air Shasta from Red Bluff, was among those killed in the crash in Riverside County in 2023. Cal Fire Assistant Chief Josh Bischof and Fire Captain Tim Rodriguez also lost their lives.

The report states that Sousa's Bell 407 helicopter was struck mid-air by a Skycrane while battling a fire. The Skycrane helitanker sustained minor damage, and its pilot and co-pilot were not injured.

The NTSB determined the probable cause of the crash was the Skycrane flight crew's decision to fly at an altitude significantly above their maximum cleared altitude.

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