Samantha 2902 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 This morning the KOMO/KING news helicopter crashed and burned in Seattle, just a few feet from the Space Needle (KOMO photos and video; KING photos). It crashed in downtown, next to Fisher Plaza, KOMO's home, coming down on top of four cars. Two people are dead, according to Seattle Fire; a third was pulled from a vehicle has been transported to a hospital in critical condition. KOMO says the chopper was coming in to land at the station when it possibly struck the side of the building.
GoldenShine9 1514 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 Sending prayers and thoughts to the victims and their families and everyone in the entire Seattle news community. I would think the other Seattle stations use the same company's operations so they would be affected too?
Samantha 2902 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Posted March 18, 2014 Sending prayers and thoughts to the victims and their families and everyone in the entire Seattle news community. I would think the other Seattle stations use the same company's operations so they would be affected too? This seems to be KOMO and KING only.
Rusty Muck 4405 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 The crash happened within line-of-sight of KOMO/1000, and everyone at the all-newser witnessed the crash. It's awful listening to the station's news department having to interview themselves.
MorningNews 1500 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 KOMO now saying that the helicopter was taking off when it hit the side of the building then crashed onto four vehicles mentioned here before.
MidwestTV 1247 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 I've been watching the live streams and have checked out an article or two and I keep noticing something: the majority keeps referencing the helicopter as KOMO's alone. I haven't really seen anyone say that it was KOMO and KING's, just KOMO's. Why is that?
JoseRM303 171 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 I've been watching the live streams and have checked out an article or two and I keep noticing something: the majority keeps referencing the helicopter as KOMO's alone. I haven't really seen anyone say that it was KOMO and KING's, just KOMO's. Why is that? If I remember correctly I believe the chopper is painted in KOMO's colors so perhaps that could be why it's being referred to as KOMOs?
Rusty Muck 4405 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 I've been watching the live streams and have checked out an article or two and I keep noticing something: the majority keeps referencing the helicopter as KOMO's alone. I haven't really seen anyone say that it was KOMO and KING's, just KOMO's. Why is that? I'm guessing it's because KOMO and S!nclair owns the copter (or is the primary leaser)?
Samantha 2902 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Posted March 18, 2014 I'm guessing it's because KOMO and S!nclair owns the copter (or is the primary leaser)? The only source I have for the joint use is KING itself (the second link in my original post), though I'd guess that KOMO owned the chopper.
WAVY 10 Fan 233 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 Thoughts and prayers go out for the recovery of the surviving person in this crash and the families of the deceased.
bammy9 26 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 According to what I just heard from CBS 47 in Jacksonville, both people in the helicopter were killed.
MidwestTV 1247 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 I read somewhere that KING had a traffic reporter in the chopper, or that they used KOMO's copter and put a traffic reporter in there, which was the only "claim" KING has to it. Either way I find it odd. I'm thinking it could be because the helicopter crashed right near KOMO's station. A lot of the initial/confirmation reports are seemingly coming from KOMO itself too.
Mrtraveler01 738 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 I read somewhere that KING had a traffic reporter in the chopper, or that they used KOMO's copter and put a traffic reporter in there, which was the only "claim" KING has to it. Either way I find it odd. I'm thinking it could be because the helicopter crashed right near KOMO's station. A lot of the initial/confirmation reports are seemingly coming from KOMO itself too. KING's website is referring it as the "KOMO News Helicopter" so I'm assuming they own it. This has got to be one of the most gruesome helicopter crashes in recent memory. The pictures from there look horrific.
Samantha 2902 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Posted March 18, 2014 This has got to be one of the most gruesome helicopter crashes in recent memory. The pictures from there look horrific. This is probably the worst news chopper crash in the US since the Phoenix two-chopper park crash in 2007. The most recent deadlier news chopper crash took place in 2011, when an Australian ABC helicopter crashed on location and all three aboard died. In the US there has only been one deadly chopper crash between Phoenix and today, though there were two additional deadly crashes in Argentina (crashed while filming car accident) and in Quebec (crashed and burned while filming tornado damage) in that time period.
Mrtraveler01 738 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 This is probably the worst news chopper crash in the US since the Phoenix two-chopper park crash in 2007. The most recent deadlier news chopper crash took place in 2011, when an Australian ABC helicopter crashed on location and all three aboard died. In the US there has only been one deadly chopper crash between Phoenix and today, though there were two additional deadly crashes in Argentina (crashed while filming car accident) and in Quebec (crashed and burned while filming tornado damage) in that time period. I still remember the Phoenix helicopter crash all too well. You're right, this one is up there.
Samantha 2902 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Posted March 18, 2014 I still remember the Phoenix helicopter crash all too well. You're right, this one is up there. I was out of town when it happened. At the time there were five news choppers in the market for five stations. Now there are two (3/5/12 and 10/15). Even as local news sharing agreements are unwound I'd expect the Phoenix chopper agreements to stick around because of the circumstances. This chopper may have been leased out, I'm reading. The tail of the KOMO chopper doesn't match up with this one, so that sounds right.
JoseRM303 171 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 Watching the newscasts in Seattle, they are reporting that KOMO's main chopper is in the shop being worked and the one that crashed was a back up one that was used at at another station before going to Seattle.
easttxtv 7 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 This is probably the worst news chopper crash in the US since the Phoenix two-chopper park crash in 2007. Hard to believe it's already been that long ago since the Phoenix crash. KOMO is doing an admirable job despite their loss. Sympathies all around... :group:
GoldenShine9 1514 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 KIRO grounded Chopper 7 pending investigation as well.
ns8401 957 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 AP is reporting it got maybe 5 feet off the ground tilted to one side and landed nose first after trying to correct itself, the fireball that resulted killed the two aboard, apparently burning fuel was running down the street as well. Sounded like a take-off from what I can see.
WAVY 10 Fan 233 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 AP is reporting it got maybe 5 feet off the ground tilted to one side and landed nose first after trying to correct itself, the fireball that resulted killed the two aboard, apparently burning fuel was running down the street as well. Sounded like a take-off from what I can see. The video KING was playing had the guy recording the video note that gas was threatening to run into the grates on the street (thankful that was stopped; or this could have ended up being much, much worse).
TheRob 938 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 The victims are the pilot, Gary Pfitzner, and photojournalist Bill Strothman.
wabceyewitness 827 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 To answer earlier questions - the chopper was leased by KOMO but recently was being operated as joint partnership between KOMO and KING. During the KING live stream between 11am and 12pm EDT today, the KING anchor said their chopper was being outfitted for HD which resulted in sharing with KOMO.
aleckrohto 21 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 The News Chopper that crashed today was actually used in Boston last year. It was shared between WBZ and WFXT
skbl17 188 Posted March 18, 2014 Posted March 18, 2014 Video of KOMO's tribute to Gary Pfitzner and Bill Strothman, along with the related article: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Victims-of-news-helicopter-crash-remembered-250826051.html?tab=video&c=y Today is truly a sad day at KOMO-TV. I wish the station's staff, as well as the relatives and friends of the chopper pilots, the very best.
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