Here in Phoenix today, we had a terrible accident that occured between two television helicopters. Local Channel 3 and Channel 15 helicopters were covering a car chase below on the streets of Phoenix when they collided. The wreckage landed in Steel Indian School Park, where fortunately no one on the ground was injured.
Sadly, all four people in the choppers did not survive. Each chopper had one pilot and one camerman.
It's a sad day here in Phoenix as we all feel like these professionals are part of our families. We know their wives and children and some details about their lives (like when one of them was in the market for a new car).
Our prayers and deepest sympathies are extended to these families - both personal and professional. They will all be missed.
Very good point, Paul. How fortunate that in the middle of a summer's day, that this park was not completely filled with families and children playing. It's nothing short of a miracle that there were not more people injured.
Kevin - I can't help but wonder what it is going to take to get our politicians to make some kind of change? Guidelines would be more than appropriate - now that we have a fatality statistic. (sad, but true)
Yvonne - People all over the US heard the news. My brother in Pennsylvania called about it. It's a sad, sad event that truly could have been avoided. Do we really need 5 television stations covering the same car chase? What good can possibly come from it? AND, let's not forget that they are not the only ones in the air. There are police helicopters and fire/ambulance helicopters, airplanes and private pilots all flying in (almost) the same airspace at any given time.
How about if FAA or the FCC hires hires one helicopter and pilot to cover the airs for the media and then share the feed/transmission with all of the stations? How hard would that be?
If the internet can be shared by a bizillion people all at the same time, certainly technology can accommodate?