Witness Says Helo Pitched Sharply Right Before Crash
ANN REALTIME UPDATE 10.13.08 2230
EDT: Officials have identified the victims of the Monday
morning downing of a news helicopter northwest of Houston, TX.
Pilot John Downhower and photographer Dave Garrett were killed
when their Bell 206L-4 Long-Ranger helicopter crashed as it flew to
the scene of a police-involved shootout near Magnolia. Both were
employed by Houston ABC affiliate KTRK-13; the accident aircraft
was the station's helicopter, known as "SkyEye HD."
The station confirmed no distress signal was issued before the
helicopter fell from the sky. KTRK said last video image received
from the helicopter showed one of the landing skids, with the
aircraft apparently in a sharp right bank.
Riley Swanson, who saw the accident unfold from the ground, gave
a similar account. "He just cleared the back side of our
subdivision when I noticed his chopper made a sharp right-hand --
down, straight down into the ground -- turn," Swanson said, adding
the helicopter (type shown below) was flying extremely low when the
accident occurred.
Investigators with the FAA and NTSB were on scene Monday
night.
According to the station, Garrett had worked with the station
"for years," and often reported on breaking news from the air. " We
didn't often see him on air, but he talked us through some of the
biggest stories this city has seen," KTRK said.
Downhower, 43, was rated to fly both fixed-wing and
rotary-winged aircraft. He worked for Helicopters, Inc, the company
that operated the 206L4 for the station. Prior to his work for the
station, he flew helicopters in the Gulf of Mexico, and before that
as a news pilot in California.
KTRK spokesperson Tom Ash released the following statement
Monday: "All of us at KTRK-TV are deeply saddened by the tragic
accident involving SkyEye13 and our hearts go out to the families
of the pilot and the photographer."
Original Report
1330 EDT: Two persons onboard a news
helicopter, type unconfirmed, were killed Monday morning when the
helicopter crashed in a wooded area near the Houston suburb of
Magnolia, TX.
Local media reports state the crew onboard the helicopter was
covering a police-involved shooting for KTRK-13 when the aircraft
crashed just after 1100 CDT.
The Channel 13 helicopter -- believed to be "SkyEyeHD 13" --
crashed about five miles from the site of a shooting following a
police chase. Investigators have not disclosed any possible causes
for the downing.
SkyEyeHD-13 is a 1993 Bell Model 206L4 Long Ranger, reports
Fox-26.
Representatives with KTRK have not released the names of the
victims, saying only the ABC-affiliate did not directly employ the
two. The station lost uplink contact with the helo about 1115.
ANN will update this story as more information becomes
available.