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| -Obits- |
| 2 news copters collide over Phoenix; 4 killed |
| 2007-07-27 |
| Two local news helicopters crashed in midair early Friday afternoon in central Phoenix. One pilot and one photographer from each aircraft died when the helicopters collided over Steele Indian School Park. The helicopters, as well as those from other stations, were covering a police chase. In the moments before the crash, the pilot from KNXV-TV (Channel 15), Craig Smith, was on the radio with the pilot from KTVK-TV (Channel 3). The inherent danger and periodic confusion of covering a police chase was clear even though you could only hear one side of the radio transmission. Bob Smith of Phoenix was about 100 yards away from the crash having a picnic in the park with his construction workers. "I heard the pop. They (the helicopters) exploded and went down. Debris is all over the park. It's surreal and unbelievable. Black smoke is everywhere." On a clear and warm day, there were many witnesses to the crash and the aftermath when both helicopters were engulfed in flames at the park near Central Avenue and Indian School Road. "It was surreal, it was like watching a movie," Chris Miller, a central Phoenix business operator, told 12 News. Another witness, Amber Eastep, told the station, "The two choppers hit and came down straight. There's 3 TV and then there's 15 and Fox 10 was just behind them. We thought it'd be all three of them (crashing)." The whole incident began around noon. Police were in pursuit of a man they say stole a truck and then rammed into a police car. The television helicopters started covering the incident at some point during the pursuit. The suspect is now holed up in a west Phoenix house on the 2600 block of North 83rd Avenue. More links here. If there is a better heading to file this under, then please re-file. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #5 No fair picking on me when it's Stupid Error Day. For the rest, that's for their families, friends, and colleagues to work through. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-07-27 23:29 |
| #4 May the memory of the way the[y] lived their live[s] bring comfort In light of how the MSM brings so little comfort to decent other people's lives, I'll reserve any comment. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-07-27 21:40 |
| #3 There is no comfort in th method of their deaths. May the memory of the way the lived their live bring comfort to those they so unexpectedly left behind. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-07-27 20:59 |
| #2 It's so that they died for, well, nothing. If they'd been covering a terrorist attack or a riot or other major news, it would have been a tragic loss, but understandable. But a car chase? |
| Posted by: Gary and the Samoyeds 2007-07-27 20:18 |
| #1 Living in the neighborhood, I long suspected that there was going to be trouble, because for big events there might be five or more helicopters in about 1 square mile of airspace. And that is asking for trouble. In addition, there are Guard and Reserve helicopters, ambulance and rescue helicopters, and helicopter traffic from Sky Harbor. Noteworthy that to enter or leave Phoenix to the North, there is only one helicopter corridor. The only local TV station that doesn't have a helicopter is PBS. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-07-27 19:38 |