June 4, Fort Myers, Fla. / Bell UH-1H

At about 10:30 eastern time, a Bell UH-1H crashed 10 miles south of Southwest Florida International Airport during firefighting operations. The pilot was killed. The pilot had released the water from the external bucket onto the fire and was returning to the lake to pick up more water. Witnesses observed the helicopter in level flight heading toward the lake when it suddenly banked steeply and went into a nose-low attitude until it disappeared behind trees.