In chaotic L.A. skies, news helicopter pilots juggle competition, camaraderie, risk
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Set us as preferred Whether it’s a brush fire, a mass shooting, a car chase or the aftermath of a major storm, viewers in Los Angeles are used to getting the news from above.Television news helicopter coverage has become one of the most important elements of any local newscast, with the high-flying helicopters roaring overhead a common fixture of breaking news scenes.These images are so ubiquitous, it’s easy to take them for granted, until Tuesday, when an NBC4 helicopter carrying reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw crashed while covering breaking news in Chatsworth.Both died, along with a bystander on the ground.The tragedy has prompted soul-searching in the world of TV helicopter news and focused attention on safety issues.
Pilots describe a high-stakes race in the skies of Los Angeles, with the TV stations battling to get breaking news on the air first.The air space easily becomes crowded and in the case of moving stories like car chases, a bit unpredictable and chaotic.
The crews who take to the air in Los Angeles must not only navigate each other, but air traffic to three regional airports and smaller, local air strips across the Southland when doing their job.California The crash that killed three people on Tuesday night, including two NBC4 journalists, involved a single-engine AS350 B2 helicopter.
Questions surround why it suddenly dropped from the sky.They say safety is always the top priority and that everyone in the air works together to avoid problems.The NBC4 crash marks the most serious incident involving an L.A.
news chopper crew since 2000, when a Fox 11 helicopter covering the Academy Awards crashed and burst into flames at Van Nuys Airport.Nationally, National Transportation Safety Board data show that 16 people have died in eight fatal crashes involving news helicopters in the United St...