Copter crash in gulf kills 2

The photographer and videographer were shooting a boat for a magazine.

By CASEY CORA, Times Staff Writer
Published September 12, 2007

SARASOTA - Two men were killed and a third was critically injured Tuesday when their helicopter plunged into the Gulf of Mexico during a photo shoot, authorities said.

The helicopter crashed into 20 feet of water about 2 miles from land about 10 a.m., officials said. The three men on board were taking photographs and video of a boat test for Powerboat Magazine.

Investigators said it was unclear what caused the crash.

"One witness said the helicopter came close to the water and somehow flipped," Sarasota County sheriff's Lt. Chuck Lesaltato said. "Debris from the helicopter hit the boat."

Killed were photographer Thomas Newby, 50, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., and videographer Mark Copeland, 44, of Raleigh, N.C., the Sheriff's Office said. Pilot Mark A. Watters, 44, of Pasadena, Calif., was in critical condition at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The driver of the cigar boat they were photographing and a model onboard were not injured.

"I'm speechless," said local boat racer Marc Granet, 40, of St. Petersburg, a friend of Newby's and the subject of many of his photographs. "Tom was the best of the best."

Powerboat Magazine, targeted toward performance boat enthusiasts, uses a helicopter to shoot aerial photos and videos of the tests, often hovering a dozen feet above the boats as they cruise open waters.

Granet said Newby would wear a harness and shoot from an open side hatch of a helicopter. Newby had earned a reputation on the racing circuit for his precision and professionalism.

"I know what I've seen him do," Granet said. "They are always pros. Checking, double checking, triple checking. ... When you see a NASCAR pit crew, how perfect they are, that's how they operate."

The crash was being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

Staff writer Jacob H. Fries contributed to this report, which included information from the Associated Press.

[Last modified September 12, 2007, 00:08:33]