The Region - News from March 27, 1987

Helicopter pilot Dorcey Wingo concluded six days on the witness stand in the “Twilight Zone” involuntary manslaughter trial by acknowledging that he did not know the precise location of the special-effects explosives on the film set that eventually downed his aircraft, killing actor Vic Morrow and two child actors. According to Wingo, it was not necessary to know the exact location since he had been assured the explosives would not be ignited until his aircraft was a safe distance away from the set. Wingo, director John Landis and three associates are accused of criminal negligence in the actors’ deaths. Although an attorney for Wingo had filed legal papers in 1983 blaming the co-defendants for negligence and carelessness leading to the crash, the judge in the current trial ruled that the jury would not be allowed to hear such information because Wingo had never personally vouched for its accuracy.