A news helicopter for Fox O&O KDFW (Ch. 4) Dallas-Ft. Worth made a hard landing yesterday morning after experiencing engine failure in flight. The chopper ended up on its side after hitting the ground hard. All aboard suffered only minor injuries, including pilot Curtis Crump, Fox 4 News reporter Chip Waggoner and traffic reporter Julie DeHarty, who delivers reports for CBS Radio's KRLD-AM & KVIL-FM.
News reports from Dallas-Ft. Worth credited Crump with expert piloting in getting the craft down on the ground after the engine quit. In addition to flying for KDFW, Crump is a pilot for the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department. The accident in Dallas took place just three days after two news choppers crashed while covering breaking news in Phoenix, killing all four people aboard the two helicopters. KDFW had also experienced a crash previously. A station news helicopter crashed in West Texas in 1986, killing both people on board.
