Strength and courage: WBTV exemplified resolve in helicopter crash coverage
The oftentimes tragic and unpredictable nature of news tends to test the emotional resolve of journalists. Developments can be grim, each incident creating a layer of toughness that never fully guards reporters from a barrage of tragedy.
We are united by a commonality in telling difficult stories, helping our communities and sharing experiences of celebration and joy. And while we compete for the attention of audiences that can get their news from a multitude of sources, we also care for one another and sometimes even partner together to better inform the public.
This media kinship is what makes this week harder than most.
As news outlets, we’re used to bad things happening. We’re not used to bad things happening to us, to one of our own. Television station WBTV suffered two devastating losses Tuesday when its Sky3 helicopter carrying meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag crashed on the grassy side of I-77, killing both men.
I did not know Jason or Chip. But I know journalists, and the hurt our local media friends at WBTV were carrying as they continued to report throughout the day with courage, strength and professionalism.
Before closing my eyes Tuesday night, I whispered prayers for their families. I thought about Jason’s wife and four children, and Chip’s wife, and how their lives will be forever changed.
I considered Chip’s final efforts, too, to ensure the helicopter did not land on the interstate, avoiding what most assuredly would have resulted in greater disaster.
“That’s certainly a heroic act and probably saved some lives,” said CMPD Police Chief Johnny Jennings at the Tuesday press briefing.
As witnesses traveled near the Tyvola Road bridge on the always-congested stretch of highway, they saw the distinctive sky-blue-and-white WBTV helicopter’s movements. One witness told The Charlotte Observer, “it wasn’t spinning out of control” but was clearly in trouble. Another witness told television station WCNC Charlotte, “I don’t think he had any choice, it was going down, and he got it just off the highway and avoided it. That could’ve injured a lot of people. It’s a tragic thing, but in that sense, he did a marvelous job.”
Reporting calamitous events involving those in our immediate circles makes the jobs we are expected to do far more difficult. Sadly, horrible accidents often occur around us. When they involve public figures or high profile organizations, it’s our duty to accurately relay that information to our readers. Sometimes those incidents affect countless people. In this case, I-77 was shut down completely for at least four hours and remained partially closed through noon Wednesday.
Learning of the helicopter crash, our journalists sprung into action as they would if it had been an aircraft belonging to a local hospital or the police department or a politician or a local sports team, for instance. Learning soon thereafter that the crash involved another local media outlet, our journalists continued to work – but did so with heavier hearts. That weight stayed with our newsroom throughout the day. They’re one one of us.
Later, after Jason Myers’ and Chip Tayag’s families had been notified, WBTV released their names and photos to the public and the Observer followed. Remembrances and condolences poured in, from Gov. Roy Cooper and Mayor Vi Lyles, to other media outlets and of course, countless WBTV colleagues.
The Charlotte Observer extends its deepest condolences to the WBTV family, and to the loved ones of Myers and Tayag. Thanksgiving allows us a moment to pause and express gratitude for so many blessings. I’m grateful for Tayag, who, said WBTV chief photographer Corey Schmidt, “was really living his dream as a chopper pilot.” And for journalists like Myers, who brought smiles to so many and was a constant, reliable presence in the Charlotte community and in his newsroom. As anchor Molly Grantham said, he wasn’t “just a weather guy.”
He “really cared about people,” Grantham said on air Tuesday. “He had a big heart and really wanted to give back to the community. This was a dream of his to work at WBTV. We’re still processing what’s going on.”
They don’t go through it alone. Media outlets near and far will hold WBTV close in our thoughts. They are one of us.
This story was originally published November 23, 2022 at 2:52 PM.
