Crew of other helicopter blamed for crash that killed Bischof

Josh Bischof was memorialized in a tribute video following his death in 2023.

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The crew of a Sikorsky Skycrane helitanker was determined to be at fault for the 2023 crash that killed former Menifee Fire Chief Josh Bischof and two other occupants of a Bell 407 helicopter, according to a report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Bischof, 46 and a resident of Menifee, was supervising aerial efforts to fight a fire in Cabazon when his helicopter collided with the Skycrane. At the time, he was serving as assistant fire chief at the Ryan Air Attack Base in Hemet. Also killed in the crash were Fire Capt. Tim Rodriguez, 44, and pilot Tony Sousa.

The NTSB report about the Aug. 6, 2023 crash states that the Skycrane flight crew’s decision to fly “at an altitude significantly above their maximum cleared altitude” resulted in an “aggressive descent into congested airspace and subsequent failure to see and avoid the Bell 407.” Parts of the NTSB report were included in a press release distributed by the office of Gary C. Robb of Robb & Robb LLC, which represents the families of Bischof and Rodriguez in wrongful death lawsuits.

“According to the NTSB report, surveillance footage showed that the Bell 407 was in level flight when the Skycrane’s right wheel and tire impacted the Bell 407 from above. This impact resulted in a catastrophic explosion and separation of the Bell 407’s tail boom, main rotor blade, mast, and transmission,” the press release stated.

The Skycrane landed safely with no injuries.

“We appreciate the NTSB’s thorough investigation and findings of accountability for this completely avoidable mid-air collision,” Robb said. “These men were on a heroic mission to save lives, and their loss was tragic not only for their families but also for their communities.”

Robb represented Vanessa Bryant in the lawsuit regarding the helicopter crash that killed her husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant.