Crews Were Filming Police Chase

Two news helicopters, type unknown, collided while covering a police pursuit in central Phoenix Friday afternoon. Just before the accident, the helicopters were following a police chase involving a disabled truck.

The helicopters were operated by KNXV-TV ABC Channel 15 and KTVK Channel 3, both news services in the Phoenix area. According to the Associated Press, the driver running from the police had bailed out and carjacked another vehicle when the Channel 3 signal stopped and the screen went black.

KNXV-TV ABC Channel 15 reported no survivors from the crash. 3TV reported pilot Scott Bowerbank and 3TV photographer Jim Cox were aboard Channel 3's helicopter at the time of the crash. According to ABC 15, pilot Craig Smith and photographer Rick Krolak were also victims.

The helicopters collided and crashed into Steele Indian School Park in central Phoenix, the Associated Press reported. The wreckage was found in a grassy area in front of a boarded-up church, which AP reports was the site of an old Indian school. Firefighters were called to the scene.

"I was standing out on Central Avenue and I was looking over to the park and saw the helicopters get close," witness Jerry Fender told KPHO. "The blue one split and went down. The red or orange one went right after it." Fender then lost sight of the helicopters and did not see the impact.

FAA Spokesman Ian Gregor told the AP that the FAA is currently reviewing air traffic control recordings to determine if the pilots were in communication with an air traffic control facility.

"Typically air traffic controllers clear helicopters into an area where they can cover a chase like this," Gregor explained. "Once in they are in the area, the pilots themselves are responsible for keeping themselves separated from other aircraft."

FMI: www.faa.gov