Posted 5:13 PM by Gene

We should count ourselves lucky that the battle of local broadcast one-upmanship in the air hasn't claimed more lives. It's a wonder (just to cite two examples) there weren't midair collisions during the reportorial wet dreams of South Central and O. J. And this sort of thing won't stop, because mindlessly pursuing stories from the air is a time filler and a profit center.

That we're likely to get sick jokes out of this -- well at least they got some TERRIFIC FOOTAGE! -- and climaxing in the terrific footage itself, can only add to our disgust.

(Via the usual Romy)

P. S.

The helicopters collided while covering a police pursuit of a man in a construction truck.

That must have been REALLY IMPORTANT NEWS to sacrifice FOUR LIVES.

P. P. S.

The suspect in that chase is currently barricaded inside a West Valley home near 83rd Avenue and Thomas Road.

And not just deaths -- do you think we can add hindering police work to our résumé?

P. P. P. S. At least it happened on a Friday afternoon, before the Howie Hairshirts and Jonny Hairshirts could start caterwauling of ETHICS.

P. P. P. P. S.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the FAA is reviewing air traffic control tapes to see if pilots were talking to controllers at that time.

"Typically air traffic controllers clear helicopters into an area where they can cover a chase like this," Gregor said. "Once they are in the area, the pilots themselves are responsible for keeping themselves separated from other aircraft."

TRANSLATION: Only the pilots' skills stand between them and catastrophe.

Also, there was thankfully no video of the collision itself, so at least we'll be spared sick jokes.

I'm making a lot of this story because it's so typical of media's excesses and faults -- and no matter how excessive and faulty the goons who run our media can never admit to their culpability.

For the record, we removed a reference to the accident that killed Sen. Heinz because it did not involve helicopter traffic reporting, as we said in our original posting.