TV ENG Van ExplodesNovember 19, 2009
 ATLANTA: Two WSB-TV crew members for escaped serious
injury after their ENG van mast struck a power line and exploded in flames
Wednesday, according to The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution. The incident happened when the two were leaving the
parking lot of a local jail with the mast of the truck still extended. It hit a
Georgia Power high-voltage line from a substation across the street from the
jail, AJC said. The line carried
115,000 volts.
“Georgia Power workers on the scene were surprised anyone lived,” AJC said, quoting a police statement.
“The 115,000 volts traveled through the vehicle and ground, also hitting and
destroying a water main which caused water to be out in the area.”
WSB reporter Tom Jones and videographer Leonard Raglin were treated at a
hospital for smoke inhalation and burns, and released.
WSB’s Don McClellan wrote on the station’s Web site that Wednesday’s was not
the first such ENG incident at the Atlanta ABC affiliate.
“I and my photographer partner, Dan Casey, did it several years ago,” McClellan
wrote. “I was the guilty driver. Dan and I were trying to make our deadline for
feeding a story in for the 6 p.m. news. We were at spot in Cobb county from
which we’d sent a micro-wave signal many times before. Dan was editing. I was
manipulating the mast controls. But for some unexplained reason, the shot
wasn’t getting in that day. We were only about 20 minutes from the station, so
I told Dan to keep editing... that I would drive us to WSB. I was so focused on
getting the story in on time that I drove out of the parking lot on to Cumberland
Blvd. near Cumberland Mall.
“The next thing I remember is a crash and a horn honking. The mast had hit a
tree limb that came down on the fender of a car behind us. I quickly stopped,
realized what had happened and lowered the mast. I gave the driver whose car
the limb had damaged our insurance information, and continued on the way to the
station.
“I’ve often reflected on how much worse it could have been had we hit a power
line as our colleagues, Leonard Raglin and Tom Jones, did Wednesday. At the
same time, I expect Leonard and Tom are thanking God they were not seriously
hurt when 115-thousand volts traveled from the mast to the pavement beneath the
truck.”
McClellan’s story reflects how such ENG accidents happen--crews are focused on
dealing with technology and meeting deadlines. Lives have been lost and
otherwise tragically altered in ENG accidents. Industry safety evangelist Mark
Bell has written extensively about ENG mishaps at his ENG Safety Page.
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| COMMENTS (5) | | 12/13/2009 | | I can only wonder the same thing as the other commenters; why was the mast interlock (a standard safety feature) defeated/bypassed to allow the truck to be started and driven at all?
I have fought this issue with the news dept at other stations who turn a blind eye to negligent truck operators.
It sounds like the latest case of lazy operators and an ineffectual management team that allows this to happen. There is NO excuse for putting themselves and others in harms way because they were "in a hurry". Period.
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| | 11/20/2009 | | There was a similar incident just North of the Paramount lot a few years ago. The mast was raised into a 37.5 KV line. The tires insulated the van from the ground, but unfortunately, the reporter got out to see what was going on. She was nearly killed, and lost at least one hand.
The moral of the story is, if this happens and you're still alive, stay where you are. Think before you move. |
| | 11/20/2009 | | Why was the mast up interlock defeated? |
| | 11/19/2009 | | THE OBJECT IS TO GET THE STORY AND NOT BE THE STORY. WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER THEN YOU PEOPLE IN THE TRUCK? YOU SEE THE RESULT OF MINDLESS STUPID FATAL ACCIDENTS EVERY DAY.WHEN THE MAST IS UP THE TRUCK YOU DONT MOVE THE TRUCK. I GUESS THATS WHY THEY SAY COMMON SENSE IS NOT COMMON.IM JUST GLAD FOR YOU IN THE TRUCK THAT YOUR STILL AROUND TO LEARN THAT LESSON.IM SURE YOUR FAMILYS AGREE.THINK JOE CAPRIO |
| | 11/19/2009 | | Don’t they have working mast/antenna warning alarms on their vehicles? |
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