Utah, United States: A helicopter crash in a remote section of Wasatch County, Utah, critically injured one passenger and prompted a multi-agency response on Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed.
At approximately 3:10 p.m. local time on January 18, 2026, the Wasatch County 911 Center received a report of a helicopter that had gone down about 100 yards off State Route 35, near mile marker 20 in the Wolf Creek Campground area of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Emergency responders from the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, along with support from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and the Utah Division of Natural Resources, located the wreckage in heavily timbered terrain. Four people were aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash.
Officials identified the helicopter as a Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II. Witness video reportedly showed the helicopter spinning out of control before impacting trees and terrain in the mountainous area, although authorities have not yet publicly released an official cause for the crash.
One passenger, a 23-year-old woman, sustained a critical head injury and was airlifted by AirMed to the University of Utah Hospital for medical treatment. The remaining three occupants including the pilot, the pilot’s wife, and the injured woman’s father were evaluated at the scene and did not require immediate hospitalization, according to local authorities.
Family members have since provided updates on the injured woman’s condition through a fundraising post established to assist with medical expenses and recovery costs. The GoFundMe page states that the head injury will likely prevent her from working for an extended period and highlights the financial strain of air medical transport and ongoing care.
Witnesses at the scene described the helicopter’s descent and crash, noting that nearby snowmobilers and campers quickly moved to assist the occupants following impact. Although the cabin was heavily damaged, all four individuals survived the initial crash, a remarkable outcome given the severity of the descent.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have opened an investigation into the crash. Officials have not yet released preliminary findings, and investigators are expected to examine mechanical, environmental, and operational factors that may have contributed to the loss of control.
