Helicopters Used for News Coverage

BREAKING NEWS!
KOMO 4 TV in Seattle chopper has just crashed 15 mins ago. Live coverage on all Seattle stations. This chopper also shared footage with KING 5 in Seattle. Tragic coverage by KOMO tv newsroom as they have potentially lost colleagues.News Chopper fell on 2 cars and bursts into flames. This also occured near the famous Space Needle.

UPDATE: Chopper crashed right outside KOMO-4 studio. KOMO has a helipad on top of their building.

UPDATE 2: Reports are the chopper hit the building and fell off helipad.

UPDATE 3: 2 DOA. Traffic reporter on KING tv breaking down in tears as she reports this news. Reporter continues to report traffic situation as she chokes up and cries on air.

LIVE COVERAGE
KING 5 TV
http://www.king5.com/live-stream/pop-up-ads/Watch-live-now-116248999.html
KOMO TV
http://www.komonews.com/live

Sad meeting taking place in KOMO 4 newsroom.

Horrible Day at KOMO 4

Here is KOMO 4 HQ. You can see the helipad at the top of the building.
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/fisher-plaza-1.jpg

Bill Strothman, the KOMO videographer killed in helicopter crash, won 13 Emmy awards over his career.

RIP Bill, never saw any of your work, but if you've won 13 Emmys in your lifetime, you've did a damn good job.

RIP Bill, never saw any of your work, but if you've won 13 Emmys in your lifetime, I'd better jump on this grief bandwagon.

This accident brings to mind another incident that happened in 2007 in Phoenix when 2 TV helicopters collided while covering a chase on live TV. For those interested, there is a video compilation on Youtube, but it is very disturbing, specially when in one of the videos one can hear the pilot screaming as the helicopter is out of control and seen by viewers on real time. Very sad day for those who work at KOMO indeed.

There's an incident that happened on the now former NYC radio station WNBC in the mid 80s, where traffic presenter Jane Dormercker died as the helicopter crashed into the Hudson River during a bulletin. Dormecker had already survived another crash a few months earlier.

Saddest picture: Chopper 7 is alone tonight in the hangar. Flowers replace the spot KOMO's helicopter should be

"Thread for all things related to News Choppers."

If we are talking choppers...

LOL the reaction on the ladies faces is priceless.