20 years ago yesterday; Jane Dornacker killed in helicopter crash

[Jul]

20 years ago yesterday, Tragedy struck WNBC 660 AM (now WFAN) when their traffic helicopter crashed killing actress and WNBC-AM traffic reporter Jane Dornacker. Jane was doing a live traffic report live on the air when the crash happened . According to wiki ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Dornacker )

The helicopter nosedived, struck the top of a chain link fence at a river pier, crashed into the Hudson river very near to the Manhattan shore and sank in 15 to 20 feet of water. Both occupants were trapped for nearly 10-15 minutes before help arrived. Jane Dornacker died on her way to Saint Vincent's Hospital. She was 39 years old. Her pilot and only other occupant, Bill Pate, was severely injured but survived.

To hear audio of this: http://www.ohms.com/tragedy.wav Thoughts on what you remember about what happened on that day and was you listening to WNBC-AM when this happened live on the air?

 

[fred flintstone]

Also the birthday of Frank Sutton (Sgt. Carter on Gomer Pyle, USMC), Johnny Carson and Weird Al Yankovich.
Al Jolson, star of the Kraft Music Hall on NBC Radio, died of a heart attack on this date in 1950.

 

[Frasier]

Thoughts on what you remember about what happened on that day and was you listening to WNBC-AM when this happened live on the air?

I... I can't...

 

[BACKnUSSR]

Actually Howard was gone by then.

Joey Reynolds had replaced him at NBC.

 

[fred flintstone]

Actually Howard was gone by then.

Joey Reynolds had replaced him at NBC.

He wasn't gone. He was on K-Rock. And he was talking about it.

 

[Jul]

Can we please stick to the topic at hand. Thanks

 

[odomski]

From what I have read so far, we are sticking to the topic. You should do the same as well. Nobody has broken any rules or gone "off topic" as you have seemed to claim. I fail to understand what your problem is. Perhaps you could explain in further detail or have your spokesperson do it for you.

Since you have brought up a relavant topic, what are YOUR thoughts about the tragedy? Were YOU listening to WNBC the day of the crash? Do you think there should be some type of tribute to Ms. Dornacker on WFAN (formerly WNBC)?

As for me, I was not listening to WNBC on that day. I vaguely remember seeing reports about the crash on television. I will not revisit the tragic helicopter crash that killed Ms. Dornacker...and I will not listen to the audio clips that Julius provided the links for. I have heard the audio clips before, and it's something I choose to not relive. I'm sure her former co-workers would choose to not relive this tragedy either.

 

[fred flintstone]

As I mentioned in an earlier post (since deleted), I was listening to Howard Stern on K-Rock. Stern had left WNBC a short time earlier and Dornacker had done traffic reports on his show when he was at WNBC. True to form, Howard did a long monologue which was in very bad taste but outrageous and very funny.

Dornacker survived another crash several months earlier.

In the subsequent investigation, the NTSB found that the sprag clutch that was installed in the helicopter (on lease to WNBC Radio) was a military surplus part which was not designed for use in a civilian aircraft, and that the part had not been adequately lubricated. It directly led to a mid-air seizure of the main rotor blades. The staff of WNBC (including morning host Don Imus) were so appalled at the revelation of this malpractice that at one point they threatened to resign en masse.

I haven't listened to every station in morning drive, but it seems that only one station (I know of) still uses a helicopter (and that seems mostly for effect). With traffic sensors, GPS tracking devices, traffic cameras, and computers, there is little need to send somebody up in a chopper any more. On top of that, choppers can't see the entire tri-state at any given time; the modern electronic devices can.

 

[MyCatKnight]

I'm glad to hear their daughter sounds like she is doing well.

I haven't listened to every station in morning drive, but it seems that only one station (I know of) still uses a helicopter (and that seems mostly for effect). With traffic sensors, GPS tracking devices, traffic cameras, and computers, there is little need to send somebody up in a chopper any more. On top of that, choppers can't see the entire tri-state at any given time; the modern electronic devices can.

Fred,

Respectfully, I disagree wholeheartedly. Airborne reporters consistently get the best view of the big picture, otherwise no one would pay such high rates simply "for the effect." I have used other forms of traffic gathering sources, and they have still fallen way short of the "eye in the sky" or the "driver on scene." For instance, a backup on the camera at Jones Road shows the Route 4 approach to the inbound George Washington Bridge will cost you at least 20-25 minutes. But NO delay on the same camera doesn't necessarily mean that you WON'T wait over 20 minutes, if the toll booths are jammed. Dotcoms have folded for not delivering accurate traffic delays promised with their new technology. And while the camera shots and devices are helpful, depending on them alone in most areas is like calling an entire baseball game by looking at the top of the first, bottom of the fourth, and the seventh inning stretch. Maybe that changes if their numbers increase drastically. But for now, I'll take the airborne report, thanks.

 

[fred flintstone]

Fred,

Respectfully, I disagree wholeheartedly. Airborne reporters consistently get the best view of the big picture, otherwise no one would pay such high rates simply "for the effect." I have used other forms of traffic gathering sources, and they have still fallen way short of the "eye in the sky" or the "driver on scene." For instance, a backup on the camera at Jones Road shows the Route 4 approach to the inbound George Washington Bridge will cost you at least 20-25 minutes. But NO delay on the same camera doesn't necessarily mean that you WON'T wait over 20 minutes, if the toll booths are jammed. Dotcoms have folded for not delivering accurate traffic delays promised with their new technology. And while the camera shots and devices are helpful, depending on them alone in most areas is like calling an entire baseball game by looking at the top of the first, bottom of the fourth, and the seventh inning stretch. Maybe that changes if their numbers increase drastically. But for now, I'll take the airborne report, thanks.

I can't tell from your post whether you are on the station side or the traffic provider side. To the best of my knowledge, all stations doing traffic get information or reports from one of the three traffic companies: Westwood One's Shadow Traffic, Clear Channel's Total Traffic or self-described "technology company" Traffic.com. The traffic providers now make limited use of aircraft and even drivers. They seem to rely heavily on Transcom, and various DOTs and police agencies for information. (The Hudson River crossing delay estimates come from Transcom, not traffic cams.) In addition, the DOTs provide traffic cams and sensor data (there are gaps in coverage and the equipment is not always reliable, so traffic providers end up extrapolating a bit). Apparently, aircraft coverage has gotten expensive and traffic providers have cut back on it (even eliminated it in off-peak hours). Traffic provider announcers provide reports to multiple stations. A few stations, those which can afford it, do use their own announcer in a chopper (e.g., Newsradio 88 and WOR 710) but even the choppers use information from the traffic providers.

Would aircraft coverage be better and more reliable? In an ideal world, yes. However, in a metro area the size of New York, multiple aircraft are needed - with one chopper is flying a circuit a lot can happen in any given place while the helicopter is someplace else.

Maybe traffic reporting looking at a website display (which is how most announcers do it) is more like calling a ballgame off the old Western Union sports ticker. It used to be quite common and very popular. Ronald Reagan, Walter Cronkite and Lindsey Nelson started off doing that. Gordon McClendon made a whole network covering games that way.

 

[BACKnUSSR]

Also realize that the airspace restrictions in and around the city have tightened up significantly in the past few years. It's not as easy to to have free reign to traverse the skies over Manhattan.

 

[kvd08844]

I was driving home from work, station flipping as usual. Couldn't believe what I'd heard on I believe it was WCBS about the crash. Flipped on WNBC, and Joey Reynolds was indeed in shock, but couldn't/wouldn't admit what the other stations were reporting.

Quite a tragedy, indeed. Wasn't it found out later that the chopper had incorrect parts in it or something?

 

[Ultimajock]

...I have a friend who knew Jane Dornacker very well when both were doing standup comedy in San Francisco (before she got the traffic gig at KFRC). Wanna turn on the tears of a clown? Bring Jane's name up to him when he least expects it...

...seems to me this incident was pretty much what finally made General Electric dump NBC's radio stations. WNBC was pretty much beyond repair, and with the lead station in the #1 market in the nation dragging down the rest of the chain (IIRC, WMAQ Chicago was doing fairly well with the talk format they launched three months after the WNBC crash), GE had no hope of radio recuperation...

 

[RickSklar77]

Also the birthday of Frank Sutton (Sgt. Carter on Gomer Pyle, USMC), Johnny Carson and Weird Al Yankovich.
Al Jolson, star of the Kraft Music Hall on NBC Radio, died of a heart attack on this date in 1950.

Well Fred, you've indeed shown what a prehistoric man you are by giving us "This Day in History" rather than your take on Jane's unfortunate passing. Unless I'm misunderstanding some weird form of sarcasm, I find it very distasteful that the second post in a sad but very relevant thread talks about celebrity birthdays.

 

[Jul]

I was driving home from work, station flipping as usual. Couldn't believe what I'd heard on I believe it was WCBS about the crash. Flipped on WNBC, and Joey Reynolds was indeed in shock, but couldn't/wouldn't admit what the other stations were reporting.

Quite a tragedy, indeed. Wasn't it found out later that the chopper had incorrect parts in it or something?

I'm surprised by that. WCBS and the other stations reported the death of the traffic reporter right away but not WNBC?. I would like to hear audio of their coverage from that day to hear for myself.

 

[4dude]

I remember that!!!!!!

Very sad

 

[PeteRFNY]

Certainly was one of the most harsh "reality checks" in radio. I was recently dubbing off my copies of the 1986 World Series for a friend of mine, and when I saw the story about the crash in the 11PM news teasers during Game 4, I was brought right back to that night. How sad and tragic that they just happened to be on the air at the time of the crash, compounding the horror.

I do not recall WNBC ignoring the story, I think it was just a matter of Joey Reynolds being in shock over what had happened. WNBC went off format and played tributes to Jane for the rest of the evening and overnight. I still have airchecks of some of that evening's broadcast.

 

[Jul]

Certainly was one of the most harsh "reality checks" in radio. I was recently dubbing off my copies of the 1986 World Series for a friend of mine, and when I saw the story about the crash in the 11PM news teasers during Game 4, I was brought right back to that night. How sad and tragic that they just happened to be on the air at the time of the crash, compounding the horror.

I do not recall WNBC ignoring the story, I think it was just a matter of Joey Reynolds being in shock over what had happened. WNBC went off format and played tributes to Jane for the rest of the evening and overnight. I still have airchecks of some of that evening's broadcast.

Could you post the audio of their coverage here?

 

[PeteRFNY]

Could you post the audio of their coverage here?

I'll see if I can find the tapes. If I can dig 'em out of the garage I'll be glad to.

 

[kvd08844]

No, sorry, I can't post the audio coverage. I just remember the other stations reporting it before WNBC officially announcing the fatality. And, I could be wrong, but that's how I remember it.

Probably the shock and denial stages that they were going through at the time.

On the NYRMB, Big Jay Sorenson posted that he was working off-air with Joey Reynolds at the time, and they just looked at each other in disbelief. The cart they played that was in the cue, I think was a Huey Lewis & the News song, which, he admits, wasn't appropriate, but under the circumstances, nobody really knew what they were doing. They were going through the motions.