Death of Pilot During Rescue Mission in the United States

A pilot died when a single-engine firefighting plane crashed into a lake in Montana while collecting water to combat a nearby fire, officials reported. The incident was reported shortly after it occurred Wednesday afternoon at Hauser Lake on the Missouri River northeast of Helena in Lewis and Clark County. Search and rescue teams, along with divers from Gallatin County, rushed to the scene. Officials later stated at a press conference that the 45-year-old pilot of the "scooper" had died. The "Independent Record" reported that her name has not been disclosed pending notification of relatives who do not reside in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the U.S. Forest Service will investigate the crash of the Air Tractor AT-802, which was contracted by the Idaho State Department of Forestry. The deceased woman was part of a crew battling the nearby Horse Ridge fire, a human-caused blaze affecting 450 acres, burning in dense trees in the Helena - Lewis and Clark National Forest about 5 miles southeast of Helena. The fire began on Tuesday, and the county sheriff's office ordered some residents to evacuate the area on Wednesday afternoon.