News Helicopters Collide While Filming Police Chase

[Armchair_QB]

Watching MSNBC right now.

Two news helicoptors have collided in mid-air and crashed while filming a police chase in Phoenix.

One is from the ABC affiliate. No word on the other one.

 

[D-Backs Hack]

Re: News Helicoptors Collide While Filming Police Chase

KNXV, an ABC affiliate.

KTVK, an independent.

 

[Ace]

What were the odds on that?

 

[Angola!]

Any word on survivors?

 

[GuessWho]

Surprised it hasn't happened before now.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

KNXV, an ABC affiliate.

KTVK, an independent.

Honestly, with as many copters you have in th sky filming stuff like this and doing traffic reports I'm shocked it doesnt happen more often.

 

[Flash]

Three dead ...

 

[markvid]

Not to quibble, but TV does not film. It's tape or sending live.

I am surprised as well, you have choppers that close to each other that would not normally happen, moving at high speeds, not on a set course, etc.
At least no one on the ground got hurt.

 

[Angola!]

Three dead ...

That sucks. I take it at least one survived, unless one of the pilots was also taping somehow.

 

[Flash]

Two pilots and a photographer is what I heard on CNN a few minutes ago. Happened when the suspect jumped out of the SUV and jacked another vehicle.

 

[DanOregon]

I can't imagine how difficult something like this must be for the fellow journalists. My best to the families and friends of those who died.

 

[spup1122]

I know two people who work at this ABC affiliate. I'll be keeping everyone at the station in my thoughts.

 

[alleyallen]

Jeez, spup. Hope all of them are well. Terrible news.

 

[spup1122]

One is a producer in the mornings. She's probably OK. The other is a reporter and I don't know that they had any reporters up in the 'copters.

 

[Flash]

KNXV reporter Craig Smith has perished.

While I don't know anyone involved in this tragedy, my sympathy to the families and friends of the three individuals.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Can I say as a news consumer that I don't need more useless ****ing police chase aerial footage so much that anyone should have to die to bring it to me? I know it's good video. But it's utterly meaningless 99 percent of the time, and it's dangerous to people on the ground and, now, to people in the air as well.

 

[Perry White]

Four confirmed dead: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0727coptercrash27-ON.html

 

[markvid]

The azcentral story says the man who was leading the police on the chase might be held liable for the deaths.
I really hope that doesn't happen. The choppers were not forced to go up to cover it.

 

[Flash]

The azcentral story says the man who was leading the police on the chase might be held liable for the deaths.
I really hope that doesn't happen. The choppers were not forced to go up to cover it.

That's stretching the law a tad.

 

[Angola!]

According to the AZCentral story, these are the four who died:

Channel 15, the local ABC affiliate, reported that pilot Craig Smith and photographer Rick Krolak were on board.

Channel 3 reported that pilot Scott Bowerbank and photographer Jim Cox were on their aircraft.


Also, the video linked to the story is pretty interesting. It is from the other news copter that didn't crash and the reporter is obviously emotional while reporting what he is seeing.