KOMO-TV | KING-TV | The Seattle Times
A KOMO-TV news helicopter has crashed in Seattle, next to the Space Needle. Two people were dead on the scene, the Seattle Fire Department says on Twitter. In a broadcast, KING-TV reported it was “two of our colleagues at KOMO” who went down in the crash.
The helicopter was used in a partnership between KING and KOMO. Nick Provenza reports in The Seattle Times that the helicopter was trying to land and “dropped onto at least three cars.”
KOMO anchor Kelly Koopmans wrote on Twitter that people at the station heard the crash “right outside our newsroom.” She also tweeted that the flames are now out and that a witness said one person was on fire getting out of a car. Medics took one 37-year-old man to the hospital, the SFD said on Twitter. The Seattle Police Department says the investigation “will continue for many hours.”
And some pictures, via people on Twitter:
Chopper tail visible amid the smoke & car wreckage pic.twitter.com/uZ57DibreU
— Kelly Koopmans (@KellyKOMO4) March 18, 2014
News helicopter crashes, burns beside Space Needle – http://t.co/TvU5Dy9aLt pic.twitter.com/ptZhAUje6u
— KOMO News (@komonews) March 18, 2014
#BREAKING: KOMO-TV News helicopter has crashed near station and Seattle Space Needle. Confirmed to KING-TV. pic.twitter.com/vrRmyEQ8bv
— Tim Williams (@realtimwilliams) March 18, 2014
KOMO news helicopter crashes. Prayers to our friends. #breakingnews #DirectorTweet pic.twitter.com/Inahnzy4wE
— Alex McBurney (@LiveTVDirector) March 18, 2014
#BREAKING: Helicopter has crashed near Seattle's Space Needle. 2 cars on fire. Pic: @KellyKOMO4 pic.twitter.com/FvZAEwmt75
— Tim Williams (@realtimwilliams) March 18, 2014
#Helicopter just crashed near the #Spaceneedle ! pic.twitter.com/otLE1FEBbD
— 12th DAD!! (@12thDAD) March 18, 2014
Sounds like a helicopter has crashed near the Seattle Center, causing this huge cloud of black smoke. pic.twitter.com/HSRdUqqn8x
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 18, 2014
In 2008 the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report on a 2007 collision between two news helicopter in Phoenix.