Bill Strothman, a photojournalist and Gary Phitzner, a helicopter pilot both working for Komo TV in Seattle died when the station’s helicopter crashed near the Space Needle, reports said. The chopper appeared to have fallen to the street as it attempted to take off from a helipad at the top of a television news station, Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore told reporters. It crashed and burst into the flames, killing the two passengers onboard and setting three cars on fire in the popular tourist area, officials said.

Bill and Gary were found dead in the wreckage of the helicopter when emergency responders arrived at the scene, while the occupants of three vehicles that caught fire managed to escape, Moore said. One person was in critical condition.Television station KOMO, an ABC affiliate, said the aircraft was one of its helicopters.

Source: Reuters