Was Ordered to Put Explosive on ‘Twilight’ Set, Worker Testifies

Paul Stewart, the special-effects coordinator on the “Twilight Zone” film set, ordered that an explosive be placed under a hut in a mock Vietnam village hours after Stewart and director John Landis had decided that such explosives could cripple a low-flying helicopter, according to testimony Tuesday from a special-effects technician.

Prosecutors have contended that debris from the explosion contributed to the subsequent helicopter crash that killed actor Vic Morrow and two child actors. Landis, Stewart and three associates are on trial on involuntary manslaughter charges in the 1982 deaths.

In three hours of testimony, veteran technician Jerry Williams told the jury that Stewart “asked me to place a mortar under a four-legged structure” shortly after Stewart and Landis conversed in the village.

Williams added that Stewart had told him several hours earlier that he and Landis had decided against placing explosives underneath any huts because it could result in debris being spewed into the air.

Williams will return to the stand today when he will face cross-examination from the defense.

While Deputy Dist. Atty. Lea Purwin D’Agostino termed Williams’ testimony important prosecution evidence, defense attorneys pointed out that the witness also cast doubt on debris as the cause of the crash. Williams insisted during his testimony that the floor of the hut remained intact shortly after the accident, when he saw it while helping douse fires.

In other testimony, Williams said that moments before the helicopter crash, he heard Landis order the helicopter “lower.” The helicopter, which spun out of control and crashed into the actors after being struck by a special-effects fireball, was as low as 18 feet above the ground during the filming of the fatal scene, Williams testified.