WBTV News Chopper Down In Charlotte NC

Can't imagine that news crew going on for their noon news, that's the breaking story, they probably had an idea it was their guys already, but having to maintain composure and privacy knowing the victims' families.
 
So sad. Watching the 6PM news for the weather is part of my early planning for upcoming flights. Myers frequently did the weather. He has 4 kids. Seemed like a really good guy.
 
Memories of the two news choppers that collided over Phoenix years ago is still fresh in a lot of memories. And it led to changes in the form of operational consolidation, with multiple stations using and reporting from the same birds together instead of separate craft for everyone. Not sure what happened here but obviously these two were well loved and respected. RIP.
 
MFE said:
Memories of the two news choppers that collided over Phoenix years ago is still fresh in a lot of memories.
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"Captain Max" Schumacher of KMPC-710, Los Angeles, was the pioneer of aerial news/traffic reporting. He died in a collision with a police helicopter over a crime scene near Dodger Stadium in the mid-1960s. His successor at KMPC, Jim Hicklin, was murdered by a deranged stalker a few years later on board a cruise ship.
 
Francis Gary Powers and his cameraman died in the crash of their Los Angeles KNBC news helicopter on 01 August 1977. The Bell 206 Ranger apparently ran out of fuel due to an uncalibrated recently-installed fuel gauge. Powers had reportedly picked out an emergency landing site, but had to abort at the last minute due to the appearance of children on the field. This last minute maneuver apparently caused the loss of main rotor rpm, resulting in the crash.
 
Capngrog said:
The Bell 206 Ranger apparently ran out of fuel due to an uncalibrated recently-installed fuel gauge.
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The page 2 to this story clarifies a few things. He radioed the tower that he was low on fuel, i.e., the low level lite was illuminated. The fuel indicator was actually recalibrated to spec due to having a +30 quantity reading. And given they were in full brick mode when they hit nose 1st, there wasn't enough RPM to make any minute maneuvers. Same with the OP accident and the claims he avoided the traffic. We all want people to do the right thing in these cases but unfortunately basic physics tends to get in the way.
 
The story I read on Powers' crash was that the fuel gauge had been replaced but that the old one had been misreading for so long, Powers probably mentally adjusted the readings of the new gauge, as he had habitually done with the old inaccurate one. Expectation bias? Or sumthin'.
 
Capngrog said:
Expectation bias?
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Maybe. Its my understanding prior to the maintenance when indicating 0 gal there still was useable fuel onboard. After when reading 0 there was only un-useable on board. Whether he didn't read the logbook book, forgot about it, or pushed his luck since the airport was in sight. I don't think anyone really knows. The fact he called the tower to say he was low on fuel kind of puts it in pushing the luck side. Regardless, the overwhelming conclusion was it should have been a non-event in a B model, engine out/auto to a large flat field, but the wreckage tells a different story. He was a low time rotor pilot but dont know if that played into the equation.
 
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