  Karl Member Username: Karl Post Number: 8915 Registered: 09-2005 |
This was just announced in passing on the coverage of today's tragic collision. Craig Smith, the pilot apparently had moved to Phoenix 2 years ago after working for WXYZ. Details are still coming in, wasn't going to post anything here until I heard this. I apologize if the details are not correct, everything is sketchy right now. (Message edited by karl on July 27, 2007) | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 2742 Registered: 12-2005 |
2 news copters collide over Phoenix; 4 killed | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 2743 Registered: 12-2005 |
From http://www.azcentral.com/:  | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 290 Registered: 05-2004 |
The thing I don't get is that the fleeing driver may be charged in their deaths. Granted, he should face charges from fleeing the cops etc. but those were not police helicopters. | ||
Cheddar_bob Member Username: Cheddar_bob Post Number: 1093 Registered: 10-2003 |
The pilot of KNXV-TV's helicopter, Craig Smith, was previously the pilot at WXYZ. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 894 Registered: 10-2003 |
The theory is that the driver's actions contributed to the accident. | ||
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou Post Number: 1174 Registered: 09-2006 |
Wow | ||
Yupislyr Member Username: Yupislyr Post Number: 230 Registered: 07-2004 |
There's some video of it from the perspective of one of the helicopters involved http://www.breitbart.tv/html/3 645.html (Some may not want to view/listen to this one) and from a third that was also covering the chase... http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=34382@wbbm.dayport.com (Message edited by yupislyr on July 27, 2007) | ||
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou Post Number: 1175 Registered: 09-2006 |
Jesus you can hear him screaming. | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 785 Registered: 11-2003 |
Yikes, that first video is tough to watch. | ||
Vas Member Username: Vas Post Number: 762 Registered: 01-2004 |
The driver is going to be charged for the helicopter crash? Thats absurd. | ||
Urbanize Member Username: Urbanize Post Number: 1894 Registered: 02-2007 |
I feel sorry for the FOX Helicopter Pilot too. Him witnessing that crashed nearly gave him a Heart Attack. I would not be wanting to fly any Copters either after watching that (Message edited by Urbanize on July 27, 2007) | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 2746 Registered: 12-2005 |
Yep, Phoenix is absurd like that. | ||
Urbanize Member Username: Urbanize Post Number: 1895 Registered: 02-2007 |
^^^Yeah. Those were the same people that thought they shouldn't Celebrate MLK Day. (Message edited by Urbanize on July 27, 2007) | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 293 Registered: 05-2004 |
It's amazing the lengths that news organizations go to "scoop" others. Would you expect a driver who had an accident to be charged if Fox News and WWJ had copters crash in covering it on the freeways? It is another thing if law enforcement was using the copter. I doubt you'd have two police copters at the same place though. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 2747 Registered: 12-2005 |
There's a "pile on" mentality operating there. Cops do it, prosecutors do it, the sheriff does it, reporters do it. So this shit happens. It's Devil take the hindmost in Phoenix. True Justice stands aside for that greater law in Phoenix. (Message edited by Jimaz on July 27, 2007) | ||
Cgunn Member Username: Cgunn Post Number: 67 Registered: 01-2004 |
My heart goes out to the family, but it was a freak accident. He shouldn't be charged for the death of the pilots. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 3516 Registered: 10-2004 |
Karl, that news came over WJR about as soon as it happened. While surfing Drudge at that time while listening to the radio, I noticed that a half dozen videos were quickly posted there--some within minutes. quote: Pilots get over events like those very quickly. Years ago, I, fortunately, found an abandoned airstrip nearby when running on fumes a couple miles from shore over the Gulf of Mexico (near Brazoria/Hinckles Ferry, TX). Your adrenaline rushes for a bit, though. [The nice foreman at the Phillips Petroleum salt dome storage facility there drove me to Lake Jackson's Dow Corp. airport for a couple gallons of AV gas--just like running out of gas in a car...] There have been a number of such copter crashes involving the media whirlybirds within the past two years. Usually, they are equipment related--unlike this obvious pilot(s) error(s). Each copter had two aboard, so if even one of them were aware, the collision could easily have not happened. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2504 Registered: 06-2004 |
Based on the chatter on the videos there were at least 5 choppers in the area covering this pursuit - four media and a PD - that's f'ing stupid! | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 3517 Registered: 10-2004 |
WJR's pilot mentioned that there is a common radio channel that the various copters use in order to coordinate their flying--broadcasting their altitudes and when changing to another altitude, etc. Flying is obviously a 3-dimensional activity, so altitude control is the most effective means of preventing collisions. Apparently, some pilot was careless in that the desired vertical separation wasn't maintained. | ||
Crash_nyc Member Username: Crash_nyc Post Number: 990 Registered: 08-2004 |
I highly doubt that the driver could be charged with any responsibility in this tragic accident. The responsibility lies with the pilots involved. Reminds me of another media-related helicopter crash: In 1986, Jane Dornacker, a traffic reporter for WNBC radio in New York, was killed when her helicopter crashed into the Hudson River. The pilot was critically injured. As the chopper plunged toward a pier, listeners heard Dornacker scream at the pilot, "Hit the water! Hit the water!" Last words, live over the air. Rough. The morbidly curious can probably find 'net links to the audio. | ||
Cabasse Member Username: Cabasse Post Number: 52 Registered: 01-2006 |
that first video is very disturbing. i can't believe you can hear him screaming as they fade out. i feel sick... | ||
Vic_doucette Member Username: Vic_doucette Post Number: 342 Registered: 10-2003 |
As a former airborne traffic reporter in the Detroit market, I can tell you that standard operating procedure, at least when I was doing the job, was for aircraft in flight to regularly communicate their locations to each other -- without fail. It's great to be able to scoop the competition -- any journalist will tell you that. But it's a matter of life and death up there, and safety of the aircraft and its occupants takes precedence over everything else. I wouldn't have flown so much as one minute if it hadn't been that way. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 2750 Registered: 12-2005 |
quote:That shouldn't even be necessary anymore since the advent of Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems. Don't these news helicopters have TCAS?! It isn't difficult to connect a GPS device to a transponder. Even the proximity logic is trivial for helicopters with their limited speeds. There might be some lawsuits out of this. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 3521 Registered: 10-2004 |
The pilot is primarily responsible for the safe flight of his aircraft. Even it that means operating contrary to the advisories of any flight or ground controllers, which usually would not be in contact with them anyways. I suspect that having TCAS might continually trigger alerts by copters being somewhat close in normal operations. And one or more of the pilots still would have to take the correct evasive action. Besides, the copters were flying under VFR conditions during the day. Five aircraft or even more than that number is not that many in the air. They're hardly doing tight military airshow maneuvers. Somebody was mentally asleep in the cockpit... | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 787 Registered: 11-2003 |
I heard the Jane Dornacker audio a few years ago. There's no misreading what was going on there, that was pretty clear. If I recall correctly Dornacker was previously involved in another helicopter crash a short time before her death. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1864 Registered: 11-2003 |
And since this tragic helicopter accident, we have had a fatal accident of a stunt pilot at the Dayton Air Show and another at the Oshkosh EAA Fly-In. Not a good week in the skies. | ||
One_shot Member Username: One_shot Post Number: 328 Registered: 11-2003 |
While a tragedy I too was amazed to hear that he may be charged in connection with their deaths. After all it is the news people that glorify a police chase! Get real people (lawyers). | ||
Goblue Member Username: Goblue Post Number: 215 Registered: 03-2007 |
Could someone explain why some mutt trying to outrun the police is "breaking news"...and what makes such an event something for which lives should be risked? Is this simply another low level to which the media corporations have descended? | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 3853 Registered: 10-2003 |
it is. Car chases are routinely covered by TV "News" in LA. This of course, encourages morons who want to get "on tv" to flee the cops until the helicopter is on them. Another fine reason not to own or operate a television. | ||
Craggy Member Username: Craggy Post Number: 260 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hey Vic... I thought of you when I saw that story...unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before something like this happened. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 3543 Registered: 10-2004 |
Preliminary report has it that Channel 3's copter was stationary and the ex-WXYZ pilot moved into it. Still, it remains to be seen what the 3 copter did just before it got stationary and was hit by Channel 15's. |
