Oops. 2 news choppers in Phoenix collide & crash.

[karlrschneider]

No links just got home & saw on tv

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. News choppers are being dispatched to/at the the scene.

[xultar]

2. OMG it is if they will keep trying till they kill them all.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Huh?

Was this not an accident?

[malaise]

11. They were chasing a police chase

I'm amazed more of these crashes don't happen more often

[Sequoia]

19. I was just ranting about that yesterday!

How sad for them. Just let the cars jet stolen, they'll show up somewhere. Why do we need these iditot cops chasing car jackers and endangering bystanders? Oh wait, I know...so they can get their footage from the dashboard camera on the TV show "COPS".

[brentspeak]

25. It's not the cops' fault the helicopters collided

The news copters were flying too close to one another covering what was going on on the ground.

[Sequoia]

36. Well, if they hadn't been chasing the guy .....

How is it the car jacker's fault if he was on the ground like the cops were. Same logic basically. Cops just love to chase people. Did the car jacker kill or hurt anyone before he stole the vehicle? I remember a time in Los Angeles about 8 years ago when a car jacker was being filmed from above and he shoots and kills himself in front of thousands of viewers; even children whose cartoons were knocked off so everyone could watch the breaking news story. See, a life wasted and many affected by that incident. Then you have parents who leave their kids in a parked car with engine running and keys in the ignition when a guy strolls by and decides to steal it. It's bad no matter how you cut it.

[xultar]

13. Yes . Dispatching additional choppers to cover a chopper crash

can you imagine how much confusion and air traffic that will create?
.

[Swede]

3. Tragic irony.

nt

[MissB]

4. That can't be good.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. How tragic

Post a link when you get one.

[spanone]

6. damn 2 fatalities msnbc tv

[MissB]

8. Link to MSNBC story

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19999896/

PHOENIX - Two helicopters collided in midair and crashed while covering a police pursuit in central Phoenix Friday afternoon, killing at least two people.

Both helicopters were news choppers from local television stations.

KNXV-TV Channel 15 reported that one of the choppers belonged to the station. The other chopper was from KTVT Channel 3 in Phoenix.

[ChazII]

14. Watching channel 15 now

and they just played a tape of a conversation between the two pilots. 15's helicopter was above channel 3's.

[Liberal In Texas]

28. That should be KTVK, Phoenix. KTVT is in the DFW area.

Damn. I hate to hear about this. I already knew 2 TV pilots that died in (separate) crashes.

These guys are very professional, but I've seen first hand (from working in broadcast TV) the pressure put on them by the news department management to fly when they really shouldn't be or where they shouldn't go.

[malaise]

9. The irony of this leaves

me speechless.

[spanone]

12. i agree, this is such senseless shit. they were following a police chase.

[xultar]

15. I think they should make news choppers stay on the ground during a police chase.

With the police air cover and the news choppers in the way the possibility of crashes and fatalities on the ground is too high.

[EFerrari]

10. Oh, no!

My cousin rides on those things. This is awful. :(

[Catshrink]

16. Yesterday, in a Phoenix 'burb, two police cars collided

on way to a call about a gunshot. Three officers were injured, none seriously, but they needed to use the jaws of life to get one out of his cruiser. They closed a major street for at least an hour during rush hour.

BTW, our senators are Vile Kyl and Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran McCain.

[Bluebear]

17. I'm hoping the bodies cool before people start "Diversion! MSM sensationalism"! comments

Again, just hoping.

[blondeatlast]

21. don't count on it; check this "funny" out (or don't):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1448894&mesg_id=1448986

Mr. D has earned his way to a select club...

[blondeatlast]

18. Happened very close to the heart of downtown PHX.

Not too many high rises nearby as it is a historical park Ithe old Indian School), but the intersection is VERY busy.

3 Dead so far.

[enigmatic]

20. I used to live about 3 miles east of there

Is Bruce Haffner still KTVK's chopper pilot? I knew him slightly when I lived there; I hope he wasn't one of the casualties...

[blondeatlast]

22. From what I can get, they had two pilots, the one in the crash hasn't

been identified publicly.

Here's the KTVK link: http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/KTVKLNews20070727_helicopter-crash.b85476c7.html

PHOENIX (AP) -- Two television news helicopters covering a police pursuit crashed and burned in a central Phoenix park, killing at least two people.

A KTVK T-V anchor tearfully told viewers that one of the helicopters was theirs, and that the pilot and photographer aboard were killed. KNXV-TV said the other helciopter was theirs. (more)

[ChazII]

23. Craig Smith

from channel 15 but I haven't heard the other name. Channel 3 is not comming in it is only a blue screen on my tv.

[DesertRat]

26. No, it wasn't Bruce Haffner, it was his back-up pilot

His name was Scott Bowerbank. They say he actually taught Bruce how to fly.

[ChazII]

27. Scott Powerbank

is the name that I have heard as the pilot. Bruce is on his was to the scene. This is hearsay from a friend who knows I can't get Channel 3.

[DesertRat]

29. Scott Bowerbank and his photographer, Jim Cox.

This is really hard to watch. The reporters are all so emotional. Patti Kirkpatrick on Channel 3 was crying. And one reporter on Channel 15 just said that this is the worst day of his life.

[enigmatic]

32. thanks everybody

I'm glad Bruce is ok, nonetheless, what a horrible tragedy and I'm so sorry to hear about those who died.

[DesertRat]

24. I was watching on tv when it happened (picture link)

They broke into the show I was watching (about an hour and a half ago) to show a low speed police chase. There were several tv choppers covering it. All of a sudden the pilot on channel 15 yelled and I saw the picture start to turn and then it went to static. They went back to the anchor who looked startled and said "I don't know what just happened." I switched stations and the other stations were showing the two burning crash sites. Witnesses say that the choppers rotors hit each other and came off. One rotor was found on top of an office building.

It happened in the middle of Phoenix, thankfully it was in a park and no one was hurt on the ground.
All of the local stations are covering it now. The reporters are all so emotional.


http://www.azcentral.com/

[DesertRat]

30. Now the reporters are blaming the guy in the slow speed chase

One just questioned whether he would be charged with the deaths of the helicopter pilots and photographers. :eyes:

[Kingshakabobo]

45. ........and the police chief said yes.

WTF, would they REALLY push the felony murder statutes THAT far?

There was a story on DU last week about a suspect being charged for a troopers car crash death.....on his WAY to the scene. Not on scene but on his way. You can ALMOST see that under some sort of "danger invites rescue" scenario but a news chopper? No friggin way!

[SoCalDem]

31. Tee-Vee watchers simply MUST have live coverage of car thieves

rolling around in their "new cars".. didn't you get the memo??

How this becomes "news", has always fascinated me.. A junkie or some goofball steals a car, and of course he takes it for a 'ride'.. and then the whole police force chases him...so everyone just HAS to stop what they are doing...an WATCH..

we all know how it will end.. the guy always gets caught... the added attention only makes it MORE likely that somebody's gonna get hurt or die...(usually NOT the carjacker)

[DemoTex]

33. It was just a matter of time. Pointless, reckless endangerment.

Time for some stringent FAA regulation of metro helicopter flying. Atlanta's downtown skies look like a beehive with all the myriad helicopters.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

34. 3 People Dead And You Say Oops?

Where the hell has the decency gone of some DU'ers.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this.

[azmouse]

37. It's actually 4 dead. And it's all that's on the tv now in Phoenix.

I didn't know any of the people who died personally but I watched Ch 15 news in the morning. One of the pilots killed used to fly over the city reporting on traffic problems and he always had his dog Molly with him. They were minor celebrities here. Luckily he left the dog behind on this trip.
It's amazing how we feel we know people we see only on tv. A very sad day here in Phoenix.

I agree. Discussing the right or wrong of reporting chases from helicopters could be done elsewhere. Thsese people died simply doing their jobs.

[Up2Late]

42. What's really amazing is, it's not on YouTube yet.

I just looked, expecting it to be there but, nope, not there yet.

[Liberal In Texas]

38. 4 dead. 2 pilots and 2 photographers. I agree. Nobody knows exactly how this happened.

One of the ships could have had a mechanical problem that sent it out of control. We should wait until the investigation is complete. It may have had nothing to do with congestion.

[Desertrose]

40. My thought exactly...OOPS?!

This is a very sad human story. So many have been affected...4 dead. Thank heavens no one on the ground was hurt.....just the chopper personnel.....


OOPS? What a comment.

Thanks for the thoughts & prayers.

DR

[ronnykmarshall]

43. No shit...

I just saw a clip from another Phoenix station and it was heart breaking.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sonicmedusa]

35. I am not surprised.

When I lived in Phoenix, anytime anything happened the sky would be full of news helicopters.

It was just a matter of time.

Unfortunate,though.

[DesertRat]

39. Every big city has multiple news stations, each with a helicopter.

Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the country. There are also police helicopters and air evac helicopters flying around as well.

[mitchum]

41. Watch "When The Geek Show Barkers Become The Chicken"!