On that date, KODA's traffic helicopter crashed, killing the pilot William 'Billy' Holmes and reporter Ted Carr. (KODA, 1010, Houston, now KLAT, La Tremenda).
It wasn't the first helicopter used by a Houston station but it may have been the first dedicated to traffic reports. Initial reports were that it was shot down because of loud pops that were heard before it plummeted to the ground but a lengthy investigation determined due to a design flaw the rotor froze and the blades snapped off, accounting for the pops.
It has been claimed that it was the first traffic helicopter anywhere and the crash the first involving a media operated chopper. Can anyone offer any evidence yay or nay?
There's a pic on my blog, toward the bottom of the main column. Grady McAlister's air check site contains some air checks from that time period, though not the actual crash. He's trying to keep everything on one page and they were among the first a/cs added and are very far down the page.
http://vasthead.com/Radio/radio_works.html
It wasn't the first helicopter used by a Houston station but it may have been the first dedicated to traffic reports. Initial reports were that it was shot down because of loud pops that were heard before it plummeted to the ground but a lengthy investigation determined due to a design flaw the rotor froze and the blades snapped off, accounting for the pops.
It has been claimed that it was the first traffic helicopter anywhere and the crash the first involving a media operated chopper. Can anyone offer any evidence yay or nay?
There's a pic on my blog, toward the bottom of the main column. Grady McAlister's air check site contains some air checks from that time period, though not the actual crash. He's trying to keep everything on one page and they were among the first a/cs added and are very far down the page.
http://vasthead.com/Radio/radio_works.html