Photojournalist Eye Witness To Army Chopper Fatal Crash

 

COLLEGE STATION, TX (January 13, 2009) – Photojournalist Dave McDermand was cruising for feature photos yesterday for The Eagle when he remembered that the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M were conducting their annual training exercise with U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters on campus.

McDermand knew that the helicopters ferrying A&M cadets back and forth between Duncan Field on campus and Camp Swift in Bastrop County might make a good picture, so he stayed to watch choppers arrive and depart.

That's when McDermand's feature photo journey turned into spot news.

While photographing one of the five Blackhawks departing, McDermand saw one of them "change attitude" shortly after lifting off and start to spin out of control. The helicopter crashed down onto Duncan Field, breaking into pieces and sending debris flying as cadets ran for cover.

A 2008 A&M graduate on board was killed in the crash. Zachary Cook, 22, who was recently commissioned with the U.S. Army's aviation branch, died from the injuries he received in the accident. Four U.S. Army National Guard soldiers on board were injured; two are in critical condition and one is in serious condition in hospital.

The helicopter was based in Austin, and the soldiers aboard were part of the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, whose headquarters is at Austin’s Camp Mabry.

McDermand wrote a first-person account for the The Eagle about covering yesterday's crash, and it's online here.

 

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