Arizona News Helicopter Mid-Air Collision Probe Underway

Federal investigators are wrapping up collection of the charred remains of two news helicopters that collided and crashed onto a Phoenix park on July 27 while covering a police chase on live television. Two pilots and two photographers aboard the KTVK (Channel 3) and KNXV (Channel 15) rotorcraft were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team of crash investigators to Phoenix led by NTSB Senior Investigator Howard Plagens, who is with the Southwest Regional Office. Safety Board Member Steven R. Chealander, a former airline pilot, accompanied the team and served as principal spokesperson for the on-scene investigation. Aside from probing the crash scene, the federal air safety experts are interviewing numerous witnesses and reviewing the aircrafts’ maintenance records. Citing witnesses, Chealander said the pilots did not appear to be distress before they collided, adding that eyewitnesses did not observe any apparent mechanical malfunction just before the mishap. The fact that five television cameras were broadcasting the truck chase should provide the NTSB with additional evidence. “We have video from different locations. It will be very helpful to us,” said Chealander. Based on eyewitness interviews, “it appears as though the Channel 3 helicopter was stationary and the Channel 15 helicopter came up either from under the Channel 3 helicopter, or was at the same level,” said Chealander. The Arizona Republic reports that radio transmissions from the Channel 15 helicopter indicated that the pilots were momentarily confused about each other’s exact location just before the mid-air. A preliminary report is expected in a week. A full report is due within nine months.