toddcarruth.com

Ack! Boy there is nothing like having your worst nightmare almost come true. Seriously, after what happened in AZ last week, I began imagining what I would do if Chip’s ship went down. If you haven’t heard, here’s the official story from FOX 4.

A FOX 4 News helicopter experienced engine failure in mid-flight Monday morning, causing it to skid to a stop and roll over on its side during an emergency landing in Grand Prairie. FOX 4 reporter Chip Waggoner, pilot Curtis Crump and KRLD traffic reporter Julie DeHarty were on board at the time of the incident. DeHarty reportedly suffered minor injuries, but the others remained unharmed. The chopper experienced engine failure, according to those on board, and was forced to land in an area north of Joe Pool Lake, west of Belt Line in Grand Prairie. The team was headed to the scene of some breaking news in Fort Worth when the engine failure occurred. When the chopper hit the ground, it skidded and ended up landing on its side, according to Chip. He also praised Crump for being able to maneuver the difficult landing. Crump also works for the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department and reportedly has a great deal of experience at practicing emergency landing situations. Dallas police were able to locate the chopper almost immediately after the landing, and rushed to the scene. All passengers were taken to Methodist Hospital for medical attention. FAA officials as well as Dallas police will be investigating the incident. The accident took place just three days after two news choppers crashed while covering breaking news in Phoenix, killing all four people aboard the two helicopters.

I talked to Chip in the hospital and he’s a little sore but doing fine. Julie cut her head and has some minor injuries. I believe the pilot is unharmed. Thank you to everybody who has called, emailed and texted me over the last few hours. I have passed your thoughts and prayers on to Chip and his family. And no, I will not be flying anytime soon.