Fri, Jul 27, 2007
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."
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