Pilot, Photographer Die In News Helicopter Crash
POSTED: Monday, October 13, 2008
UPDATED: 6:34 pm CDT October 13,
2008
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas -- A pilot and photographer on board Channel 13's helicopter were killed when the aircraft crashed while covering breaking news in Montgomery County on Monday, according to the station.
Slideshow: Channel 13 Fatal Helicopter Crash
KTRK Pilot Killed In Crash Flew For Local 2: Courtney Zavala Reports
Witnesses Describe Channel 13 Helicopter Crash:
Amy Davis Reports
Montgomery County sheriff's deputies said KTRK's SkyEyeHD helicopter went down in the W.G. Jones State Forest along Peoples Road near F.M. 1488 near Magnolia, Texas, shortly after 11 a.m.The helicopter was flying over the scene of an officer-involved shooting. It crashed about five miles from that scene."Most of it burned," said Department of Public Safety Sgt. Kenneth Hiebert.Pilot John Downhower and photographer Dave Garrett died in the crash. Downhower was employed by Helicopters Inc. and Garrett was employed by Metro Traffic.Witnesses said it appeared that Downhower was having trouble controlling the aircraft."It was almost on it's side," witness Dwayne Dean said. "It was probably, I'd say, at about a 45-degree angle."KPRC Local 2 pilot Carl O'Connor said Downhower did not make a distress call."We got the call that a media ship was down so I was calling for SkyEye13 and Air 11 (KHOU-TV's helicopter) just to make contact with those two pilots," O'Connor said. "I couldn't reach either one of them. Then Air 11 came back up. I was on the scene at that time and that's about the time I recognized the aircraft wreckage and I saw his tail.Downhower often flew Sky 2 for KPRC Local 2. He flew on a police chase along with KPRC Local 2 Chief Photographer Glenn Garcia on Friday."He was a good man, a consummate professional," Garcia said. "He's going to be missed."Downhower was a seasoned pilot with more than 8,000 hours of flying time. He flew for television stations in Los Angeles before moving to Houston.The helicopter, a Bell Jet Ranger, belonged to Helicopters Inc. It was based at Wilson Air Center at Hobby Airport.Helicopters Inc. was founded in 1978 and leases aircraft to about 70 news organizations around the country.Downhower was married with two sons and Garrett was married and had a 4-year-old son."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," station spokesman Tom Ash said.The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Copyright 2009 by Click2Houston.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Slideshow: Channel 13 Fatal Helicopter Crash
KTRK Pilot Killed In Crash Flew For Local 2: Courtney Zavala ReportsWitnesses Describe Channel 13 Helicopter Crash: Amy Davis Reports
Montgomery County sheriff's deputies said KTRK's SkyEyeHD helicopter went down in the W.G. Jones State Forest along Peoples Road near F.M. 1488 near Magnolia, Texas, shortly after 11 a.m.The helicopter was flying over the scene of an officer-involved shooting. It crashed about five miles from that scene."Most of it burned," said Department of Public Safety Sgt. Kenneth Hiebert.Pilot John Downhower and photographer Dave Garrett died in the crash. Downhower was employed by Helicopters Inc. and Garrett was employed by Metro Traffic.Witnesses said it appeared that Downhower was having trouble controlling the aircraft."It was almost on it's side," witness Dwayne Dean said. "It was probably, I'd say, at about a 45-degree angle."KPRC Local 2 pilot Carl O'Connor said Downhower did not make a distress call."We got the call that a media ship was down so I was calling for SkyEye13 and Air 11 (KHOU-TV's helicopter) just to make contact with those two pilots," O'Connor said. "I couldn't reach either one of them. Then Air 11 came back up. I was on the scene at that time and that's about the time I recognized the aircraft wreckage and I saw his tail.Downhower often flew Sky 2 for KPRC Local 2. He flew on a police chase along with KPRC Local 2 Chief Photographer Glenn Garcia on Friday."He was a good man, a consummate professional," Garcia said. "He's going to be missed."Downhower was a seasoned pilot with more than 8,000 hours of flying time. He flew for television stations in Los Angeles before moving to Houston.The helicopter, a Bell Jet Ranger, belonged to Helicopters Inc. It was based at Wilson Air Center at Hobby Airport.Helicopters Inc. was founded in 1978 and leases aircraft to about 70 news organizations around the country.Downhower was married with two sons and Garrett was married and had a 4-year-old son."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," station spokesman Tom Ash said.The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Copyright 2009 by Click2Houston.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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