E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSAn Atlanta police helicopter crashed late Saturday, killing two officers, police said.
Police Chief George Turner confirmed the deaths at a news conference, NBC station WXIA of Atlanta reported. There were no injuries on the ground. The victims' names were not released.
"One of our helicopters went down and two officers were killed," police spokesman Carlos Campos told Reuters.
WXIA reported that witnesses said the helicopter hit power lines before crashing about 10:30 p.m. in northwest Atlanta. The helicopter was searching for a missing 9-year-old boy, police said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the aircraft crashed near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Hamilton E. Holmes drives. Power was out in the area.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating, WXIA said.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Nanny charged in stabbing deaths of two children on New York's Upper West Side
- 'Couple more days' for fuel shortage, Bloomberg says; 'free gas' offer triggers rush
- Despite constant bloodshed, Mexico is ignored during White House race
- Capitol Christmas Tree en route to spruce up Washington holiday
- Freezing temps in Sandy areas; snow next along with nor'easter?
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
I am sorry for the officers killed in the line of duty trying to help find the child.
The article did not say if the child was located. Tragedy for the department and the community.
For some reason firemen get most of the credit and become the heroes. But the men and women
who drive out of the parking lot every day to face the unknown and are belittle by the citizens for doing
their job with little thanks are the real heroes.
I wondered about the missing child, as well. The link to the local Atlanta station did not provide any news regarding the child, at this time. Let's hope the child is found soon and safe.
Very true, Inestwo.
Condolences to the families and friends of the fallen officers. Very sad.
The boy was later found safe and unharmed.
Dave Wilcox
good to hear that, especially after the last couple weeks............
Good morning IA.
Thanks for the good news update, Dave.
how low were they flying to hit power lines ?
I think they hit the power lines because they were crashing.
They hit the power lines, then crashed. They were probably flying low in a search mode and hit the wires which will bring down most aircraft.
My condolences for the families.
Eyewitness reported the helicopter spinning as it went down, then hit the power lines before crashing in the CVS Pharmacy parking lot. Sounds like tail rotor driveline failure. Safe recovery at low altitude and low speed virtually impossible.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/police-helicopter-crashes-in-nw-atlanta/nSw6K/
The Atlanta Newspaper doesn't say of any eyewitnesses.
Sorry to hear of the loss. Rest in peace . . .
4 deleted, Optimist-2618173 'guessing' that 'Repugnicans' are to blame. Write your own article, that's a really cheap derail.
You're suspended for a day for violating #4 of the Code of Honor.
Optimist - 2618173
This in no way relates to politics. Maybe you should change your vine name to Richard Cranium, because you would fit that perfectly and your vine name now is anything but what the definition of Optimist is.
Two of Atlanta's finest, looking for a lost child died.
I'm guessing you dont have a clue.............
GM jack
As a business owner in Atlanta, we have a tight relationship with APD. I've dealt with @!$%# cops in my time, but never one in APD.
Sincere condolences from the residents and business owners in Midtown Atlanta to the Big Blue Family. Your sacrifices are never forgotten.
Rick ....if you ever get to missing the old ones you can visit here, we got plenty to go around........
Interesting.............two cops 'buy the farm', and suddenly the subject of whether or not the nine year old boy was found is unimportant......
The status of the missing child is immediately unimportant because he had been found safe and sound, and so whatever happened to him (which was apparently nothing at all) was a non-story compared to the loss of two lives.
See if this makes sense:
Missing child found OK. No harm. Not a story.
Two officers dead in a helicopter crash. National news.
Child who has probably contributed nothing to society is fine. And two officers who dedicated their careers to serving the public have given their lives to society.
I'm glad the kid is OK but he is of no importance now. Zero. Someday perhaps he will understand how two officers gave their lives trying to find him and be in awe that strangers he didn't know bothered to care that much.
Did you forget what news sight you're reading?
Dear ffelber...................what news site I'm reading?????????????? Do you see it ANYWHERE in this article at the top of the page stating that the boy was FOUND?????????? Wake up!!!!!!
I have been treated extremely badly by almost every police officer I ever met. And I'm a white upstanding citizen with a security clearance. I am NOT sorry they perished. Part of the job. It seems that these days that if you want to be the man and the boss and have respect commanded by you from everybody, just be a cop. Its the greatest power aphrodesiac in the world and most american cops THRIVE on it. Goodbye arrogance and ego and may the rest of your fellow officers follow you ....
Conrad 1865098
that remark earns you the POS of the Month Award. You must of had a daddy/authority issues/problem as a child and have not outgrown them. Shame on you.
Well said Jack!
The child was found and safe. Another incidence that the mother was not aware of the location of the kid. Unfortunately, this is not an unusual occurrence for Atlanta recently.
Maybe the pilot should have paid more attention in helicopter school.
maybe the driveshaft parts shouldn't have been outsorced to China, idiot! There are 10,000 car accidents a day, rarely a helicopter accident. I guarantee he had a failure of a part. You don't just pull over when a part breaks while flying a helicopter. You crash.
According to the FAA only 1 in 10 accidents is caused primarily by mechanical failure. Pilot error is the proximate cause of nearly all accidents and near misses.
To the "woman is 53 but looks 27" people: It's not too late to try and earn an honest living. You should be disgusted with yourselves for posting a picture of that "thing".