Four men were killed in a mid-air helicopter crash in central Phoenix. KNXV-TV Channel 15 reported that one of the choppers belonged to its station. The other chopper was from KTVK Channel 3 in Phoenix. The news helicopters were covering a police pursuit in central Phoenix Friday afternoon.

Phoenix Helicopter Crash: Four Killed in News Chopper Accident (Update)

Police were pursuing someone suspected of stealing a city truck, then jumping into at least one other vehicle during the afternoon chase, a police spokesman told reporters.

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In the moments before the crash, the pilot from KNXV-TV (Channel 15), Craig Smith, was on the radio with the pilot from KTVK-TV (Channel 3). According to a report from the Arizona Republic website, pilot Craig Smith is heard asking his photographer and talking to the pilot of Channel 3. “Where's 3?”

“How far?” - “3, I'm right over you. 15 on top of you.” - “I'm over the top of you.”

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Channel 15, the local ABC affiliate, reported that pilot Craig Smith and photographer Rick Krolak were on board. Channel 3 reported that pilot Scott Bowerbank and photographer Jim Cox were on their aircraft. All have been confirmed dead according to Fox 10 Arizona.

Channel 3's signal suddenly went black, and within a minute other stations began reporting news of the crash. The two choppers came down on the grass lawn in front of a boarded up church at the park, site of an old Indian school. Firefighters swarmed to the area as thick black smoke rose from the scene.

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The Associated Press cites a witness Mary Lewis and she said she was stuck in traffic with her four grandsons and was watching the helicopters, turned to talk to the children, and then saw a fireball in the air when she looked again.

"I looked up and I see this 'boom' and I see one of the helicopters coming down, and I said 'Oh my God,'" Lewis said. she said she went to the crash site to help, but there was nothing she could do.