Veteran helicopter pilot and former television reporter Zoey Tur has offered an early, sobering assessment of the fatal Chatsworth helicopter crash, pointing to what they believe may have been a critical mechanical emergency.
Tur, a pioneering figure in Los Angeles aerial news coverage, said audio associated with the crash appears to contain indications of an engine failure in the moments before the helicopter went down.
“If you listen, you could hear the low rotor RPM annunciator horn going off. You could also hear the engine rev down. This was an engine failure, and slow response into entering an auto -rotation by PiC. No survivors,” they posted after the crash.
Along with then-spouse Marika Gerrard, Tur became a celebrated presence in Los Angeles TV news, using a helicopter to document many of the region’s most consequential breaking-news events from above.
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The pair’s aerial reporting included the first live television coverage of a high-speed police chase, the 1992 assault on Reginald Denny during the Los Angeles riots, and O.J. Simpson’s widely watched 1994 low-speed Bronco pursuit.
Tur later received multiple Emmy Awards and Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism and aerial reporting.
Tur’s comments come as federal authorities launch their investigation into the Chatsworth helicopter crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the inquiry, while the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to review regulatory and licensing matters.
Authorities have not yet identified an official cause of the crash.