Three escape helicopter crash

A television news helicopter covering a triple shooting in New York spun out of control and crashed on to the roof of an apartment building last night, but three people on board escaped serious injuries.

The WNBC-TV helicopter hit the roof of a four-storey Flatbush apartment building and then plunged on to the roof of a two-storey building

The helicopter landed in two pieces on the roof of the smaller building.

The people on board, a reporter, Andrew Torres, and two pilots, Russ Mowry and Hassan Taan-Marin, were taken to area hospitals. None of their injuries were life-threatening, the police said.

“We’ve spoken to all three men and they seem to be OK,” said Liz Fischer, a spokeswoman for WNBC. “We’re just thankful that they’re safe.”

“Witnesses said the helicopter was dipping up and down and the pilot seemed to be trying to regain control of it,” Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Galvin said at the scene. “Then it dipped out of sight when it hit the building.”

Eye witness Dwayne Simpkins said he saw it fall while he sat on his porch. As it got closer, the helicopter began spinning in very tight circles.

“It hit the side of the roof, and flew apart,” he said. “It just exploded. Pieces were flying everywhere. Things were flying into the street. Hot pieces of the building were sitting in the street.”