A beloved California pilot was one of two airmen killed when their chopper went down while fighting a wildfire in central Utah.
Miles Elliott, a 50-year-old dad from Porterville, and fellow pilot Chris Andersen of Stateline, Nev., died when their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter crashed while helping to battle the Widemouth 2 Fire in Sevier County on Aug. 7, officials and family said.
The aircraft was operating under an exclusive-use contract with the US Forest Service, and both pilots were employees of Helicopter Transport Services. Their helicopter was airborne for approximately 2 minutes and traveled about 3 miles before going down.
A Porterville High School graduate, Elliott is survived by partner Briana Groves and their son, Truxton.
The family said in a note on its GoFundMe page that Elliott also was a “local small-business owner, talented photographer, mentor, entrepreneur, and a friend to so many.”
Porterville Mayor Greg Meister said in a statement that “Miles will be remembered as a hero, and the City of Porterville will honor him as one.”
Flags at city facilities have been lowered to half-mast in honor of Elliott.
“Miles represented the very best of Porterville,” Meister said. “He was a devoted father, pilot, entrepreneur, photographer, mentor, and an incredibly gifted person who used his talents to serve others and give back to the community he called home.”
Meister said that Elliott served on the Porterville Airport Committee and the Porterville Little League Board, giving his time and talents back to the community he loved.
“Miles traveled across our nation fighting wildland fires, putting the lives and safety of others before his own. It was a life of service and selflessness, and ultimately, he gave his life while protecting others,” the mayor said.
The Porterville Municipal Airport, where Elliott kept his helicopter, became a fixture within the local aviation community, the city’s fire department said in a social media post.
Elliott’s passion for aviation also extended to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles Flights Program, where he helped introduce young people to the experience of flight.
“He could get an idea in the middle of the night and be out working on his CNC machine trying to bring it to life. That was Miles,” said Russell Isom, the City of Porterville’s Transportation Director.
Isom added that the Porterville Airport community lost one of its own and he “lost a good friend.”
The helicopter was one of seven working the fire in central Utah caused by lightning on July 27. It crashed near Richfield, about 160 miles (258 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.
As of Monday, the Widemouth 2 Fire had scorched 121,225 acres and stands at 26% containment. Crews were gaining ground on the fire’s western edge while maintaining active suppression efforts near Mount Catherine to the north, according to Fox News.
