a sad sight
Today in Phoenix...
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That really is a sad sight. Makes you stop and think about how mortal life can be. 0 -
What happened? 0 -
News hellos in Phoenix - mid-air.
To make worse case scenario worse, the mikes were keyed open and
other hellos could hear the screaming all the way down - so says the
LA KFI reporters.
... covering a stolen car chase.0 -
Two news choppers were following a car chase, and didn't pay enough attn. to each other, collided, both pilots and both cameramen died. 0 -
It was bound to happen, sometime.
My prayers for them and their loved ones.
Doug0 -
The story
At Least 4 Dead After Two TV News Choppers Collide, Crash While Covering Car Chase in Phoenix
Friday , July 27, 2007
PHOENIX -
Two news helicopters collided and crashed Friday while covering a police chase on live television, killing four people on board.
Both helicopters went down in a park in central Phoenix and caught fire. No one on the ground was hurt.
TV viewers did not actually witness the accident because cameras aboard both aircraft were pointed at the ground. But they saw images from one of the helicopters break up and begin to spin before the station abruptly switched to the studio.
Television station KNXV reported that it owned one of the choppers. The other was from KTVK. A pilot and photographer aboard each chopper were killed.
Within a minute, other stations with helicopters in the area began reporting news of the crash.
KNXV reporter Craig Smith, who was among the dead, was reporting live as police chased a man driving a construction truck who had fled a traffic stop and was driving erratically, hitting several cars and driving on the sidewalk at times.
Police had blown the truck's tires, and the man eventually parked it, then carjacked another vehicle nearby.
As police closed in, Smith said, "Oh geez!"
After the picture broke up, the station switched to the studio and then briefly showed regular programming, a soap opera, before announcing that the helicopter had crashed.
The two choppers came down on the grass lawn in front of a boarded-up church at the park. Firefighters swarmed to the area as thick black smoke rose from the scene.
Mary Lewis said she was stuck in traffic with her four grandsons and was watching the helicopters. She turned to talk to the children, then saw a fireball in the air when she looked up again.
"I looked up and I see this 'boom,' and I see one of the helicopters coming down, and I said 'Oh my God,"' Lewis said. She said she went to the crash site to help, but there was nothing she could do.
"It's nothing there," Lewis said. "Just burned-up stuff."
Barbara Cochran, president of the Radio-Television News Directors Association in Washington, said the association does not track fatalities among helicopter news pilots, but she could not recall another example of two news choppers colliding while covering a story.
"The news directors at the stations are members of our association, and our heart really goes out to them in a situation like this," she said. "These pilots, they are very professional. They combine the skills of pilots and skills as journalists. It's something that's very, very sad."0 -
These two KFI reporters were talking about an experience they had at
an LA WILDFIRE years ago. They counted no fewer than 15 choppers
up there at the same time. One's wife was in another competitor's
chopper (she worked for another station) and amidst all of this tumult
were the borate bombers and water dumping CFD choppers speeding
through the mass of news choppers. Apparently the FAA clears and
tracks all to the area and then they are on their own. Both of the KFI
guys refused to ever do it again.
[8D]0 -
The law here says that any death that happens during a crime will be charged to the perp as a murder. So even though he was just stealing a car, they died because of his actions and so he will be charged with killing them. 0 -
Sounds fair to me. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by HobbyGuy
Yes it is sad. It's sad that our society gets their ya-ya's by watching punk losers being chased by the police. [:(!] It's also sad that although both pilots appear to have been experienced, they are both at fault for the crash. [B)] I've been a private pilot for over thirty years and there is no excuse for this to have occurred. Residents of Phoenix should consider themselves lucky for not being hit by falling debris. To add insult to injury (or death in this case), the following stupid statement was apparently made by the local police chief:
The man fleeing from police was later taken into custody. Police Chief Jack Harris suggested "he could be charged in connection with the collision."
Sorry Chief Harris, but the collision was not the direct fault of the jerkoff being chased. Even though this is a tragic event, no jury in their right minds would find him at fault. Then again, we are talking about Arizona (so I may be wrong). [;)]
Prayers go out to the pilots, photographers and their families.
Jim
Glad to see he finally made chief!0 -
Although it is interesting to watch those type of telecast i dont believe that they should have them on the air. It is just glorifying what the suspects are doing. It is giving them their 15 minutes of fame that they should not have. + 0.02 0 -
Boy --
Phoenix is having a run of bad luck --
The helos crashed, and I saw on the news where a 17 year old driver flipped their pickup in a flood -- bystanders rescued 2 small kids from the rear seat -- driver and passenger were already out.0 -
Felony murder. If someone is killed as a result of you committing a felonious crime you can be charged with murder.
Here in AR a few months ago a cop was hit and killed by another cop during a car chase. The guy being chased was convicted of murder and sent up for life. Lets say two bandits hold up a store and the clerk shoots one to death. The other can be charged with felony murder. Any death caused by your felonious actions may result in murder charges.
The fleeing driver in this case very likely will be charged with felony murder (assuming he committed a felony by running). Up to the prosecutor.0 -
quote:Originally posted by SaxonPig
Felony murder. If someone is killed as a result of you committing a felonious crime you can be charged with murder.
Here in AR a few months ago a cop was hit and killed by another cop during a car chase. The guy being chased was convicted of murder and sent up for life. Lets say two bandits hold up a store and the clerk shoots one to death. The other can be charged with felony murder. Any death caused by your felonious actions may result in murder charges.
The fleeing driver in this case very likely will be charged with felony murder (assuming he committed a felony by running). Up to the prosecutor.
Now while I agree with you 100% on your examples I dont think this case is the same. In this case the news crews made a choice to be there and the criminals by no direct action (or action of any kind) caused this accident. If the news crews had been taping a parade and found an interesting float and crashed into each other would the owner of the float be charged with murder? If someone on the balcony of a 5 story building leaned over the rail to see this chase and fell would the driver be charged with murder? I am all for fully punishing criminals for there actions, but this is not something that should be on them. If it was a Police Chopper that crashed I would agree 100% since they would HAVE to be there because of the actions of the criminals.0 -
Big rant follows: right or wrong, here goes. This is about the NEWS, not the poor people that died.
Suppose those news choppers had that fatal collision as they were lifting off of [Phoenix] airport, en route to film the chase scene...then it would have been regarded as just another tragic aviation accident. No more, no less.
Police choppers are for the public safety. They have to be on the scene of crime. The pilot/crew are sworn officers. The news doesn't have to be there. They [KXXXTV] chose to be there.
There's a big difference here, folks.
"We must get it onto the 6:00 spot. We have no choice. we HAVE TO follow that speeding truck"......yeah, right.
Granted, news coverage of a violent scene is very hazardous. The newspeople want to "get in close". Why? So you and I can stare at the telly and say "WOW" over our evening meal. Everything for the "scoop"!! Well, the news channel got their "WOW", today, didn't they.
Four new souls for you, St. Peter. Go easy on them. It wasn't their fault. You see...it was just before the 6:pm airing and.....
......End of rant. Joe0
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