Texas Helicopter Crash

Medical Helicopter Crash in Texas Leads to Loss of Four Lives

A PHI Medical Air helicopter crashed 70 miles from Houston, Texas, killing all four people on board. The helicopter departed Huntsville Memorial Hospital bound for Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston when it missed a check-in with dispatch just two minutes after take-off. The aircraft was equipped with a GPS locator which allowed rescue teams to narrow the search for the downed helicopter based on the last coordinates logged. The helicopter crashed on a private ranch approximately ten miles from Huntsville, in the densely wooded Sam Houston National Forest.

Authorities identified the deceased as pilot Wayne Kirby, flight paramedic Stephanie Waters, flight nurse Jana Bishop, and patient David Disman. According to PHI Medical Air, Kirby had over 30 years of experience as a pilot for PHI. The same flight crew is credited with saving a 2 year old pulled from a swimming pool in a successful mission just hours before the fatal crash.