Atlanta Journal Constitution -- A pilot from Valdosta was killed when the helicopter he was in came under hostile fire in northern Iraq, the military said Wednesday night.

Chief Warrant Officer Dennis P. Hay, 32, died Monday when the helicopter he was riding in was attacked by small-arms fire from insurgents while flying over Tal Afar. The chopper was forced to land after the attack. But the pilot who was flying the craft at the time was able to get the helicopter airborne and left the area, a rebel-ridden city 260 miles northwest of Baghdad. The pilot, whose name was not released, was also wounded in the attack.

Hay, who grew up in Georgia, was living in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Fort Carson.

His parents, who moved from Georgia to Florida, could not be reached for comment. He was married and had a son and a daughter, said Army spokesman James Hill.