TV NEWS HELICOPTER HIT BY GUNFIRE

A helicopter operated by WNDU-TV, Channel 16, South Bend, apparently came
too close for comfort at an armed standoff in Vandalia on Friday.

As NewsChopper 16 approached Rainbow Farm Campground on Friday afternoon to
check out an apparent fire, it came under fire from gunshots, authorities said.

Rainbow Farm Campground owner Tom Crosslin or someone else on the site
fired off 20 rounds of ammunition, hitting the helicopter.

The WNDU-TV helicopter was following up a Cass County Sheriff's Department
report about a fire at 59896 Pemberton Road about 12:15 p.m. EDT, Sheriff
Joseph Underwood said. A caller told authorities that the property owner
didn't want anyone on his property.

The station had sent a photographer, Eric Walton, and a pilot, Rich Voght,
to survey the scene.

"Police called the station and told us that rounds were being fired at our
helicopter," said Ellen Crooke, WNDU-TV News Director. "We pulled back
several miles and continued to take pictures."

About 45 minutes later the pilot landed at South Bend Regional Airport to
refuel and he discovered a hole in the helicopter's horizontal stabilizer.
There were no injuries to either the pilot or photographer.

"We called police before we went to the scene, like we always do, to tell
them we were going to fly over and to make sure it was safe. They told us
it was," said Crooke. "I think they (police) thought this was just a fire."

Crooke said authorities told her they will forward this particular shooting
incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation because they said it is a
federal offense to shoot at aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident,
authorities said.

The helicopter was patched up, and put back into operation on Friday night
to help photograph high school football games, WNDU-TV officials said.