Daniel J. Laird Killed, Kelly Callahen and Morgan Kozloski Injured in Montgomery County Helicopter Crash at Sam Houston National Forest
Montgomery County, Texas (March 29, 2019) – A firefighter was killed, and two other people were injured on Wednesday in a helicopter crash in Montgomery County, according to the authorities.
The deadly crash occurred on Wednesday, March 27, in the Sam Houston National Forest, near FM 149 and Bethel Road.
Authorities said the helicopter crashed during a controlled burn operation.
Daniel J. Laird, 41, who was a helitack captain from the Tahoe National Forest in California, died at the scene. He had been helping with the controlled burn.
Another Forest Service firefighter, Kelly Callahen, 43, was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The pilot, 50-year-old Morgan Kozloski, was also taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.