Helicopter Crash in Miami Suburb

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This report doesn't give the model of helicopter. The witness statement about the tail "snapping off" doesn't make much sense.

If you think commercial airlines are risky, try flying in a news, medical or SAR helo for a while :^)

From: http://airdisaster.com/

News helicopter crashes in Miami suburb. Associated Press Web posted: 04 March 2000, 12:29am EST A television news helicopter crashed and burned in a suburban neighborhood Friday, killing the pilot and cameraman. The WTVJ-TV helicopter was being used to cover a bus accident. The helicopter was about 50 feet from another when it appeared the pilot attempted to make a high-bank turn, said Sonny Bushnell, who was playing golf nearby.

"Then the tail ... just snapped off," said Bushnell, a 33-year-old airline ground worker.

Al McGuire, a ramp agent at Tamiami Airport, where the helicopter was based, said witnesses heard a popping sound before the craft plunged straight down and exploded.

It crashed into a small traffic circle in a residential neighborhood in southwest Miami-Dade County. No injuries were reported on the ground.

WTVJ anchorwoman Jennifer Valoppi said on air that the crash was "just an incredible shock to all of us here at NBC-6 and a very, very sad moment. That was Sky 6, our own chopper with two of our own people on board."

The names of the pilot and cameraman were not immediately released.

"It is a devastating loss for WTVJ," news director Tim Geraghty said. "The two people on board were close and dear colleagues."

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-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), March 04, 2000


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