Safety Agencies Investigate Crash That Killed Firefighter

An investigation has begun into the death of a seasonal firefighter who was killed when a helicopter crashed after takeoff in eastern Nevada.

The Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter had been carrying water and supplies at the 3,600-acre Charlie fire in Elko County when it took off about 7 p.m. Thursday to return to Wells for the night.

The helicopter rolled out of control upon taking off and the main rotor hit the ground, officials said. The Interior Department’s office of aviation safety and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating.

Phillip Conner, 29, of Prescott, Ariz., was killed. Conner worked at the Lake Mead Recreation Area in Las Vegas, and had worked at the agency as a seasonal firefighter for four years.

Matt Cannon, a Bureau of Land Management crew member from Alaska, suffered a broken shoulder in the crash and was flown to Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho, where he was listed in serious condition Friday.

The pilot, Kenneth Carlton, works for Rogers Helicopters of Clovis, Calif., spokeswoman Jo Simpson said.

The helicopter was under an exclusive contract with the Interior Department for fire assistance.

The death was the fifth this year among firefighters assigned to forest fires, but it was the first in the latest spate of fires in the Western states.