Helicopter crashes during debris search, killing two

BROADDUS, Texas -- A Forest Service helicopter searching for Columbia space shuttle debris crashed Thursday, killing two people and injuring three, officials said.

All five were aboard the chopper when it crashed about 4 p.m. in rough, wooded terrain. The injured were taken to hospitals, said Kim Pease, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Conditions were not immediately known, and no names were released.

The cause of the crash was also not immediately known.

There were seven Forest Service helicopters searching for debris in the area Thursday, including the Bell 407 that crashed, officials said.

The accident happened near Broaddus in east Texas.

Crews have been searching the region for debris from the shuttle, which broke apart Feb. 1 as it re-entered the atmosphere. Seven astronauts were killed.

More than 10,000 searchers have recovered about 42,000 pieces of debris, comprising 26 percent the weight of the shuttle.

The effort has covered more than 1.7 million acres in Texas and Louisiana.