Helicopter in Chuck Norris Movie Crashes; 4 Killed

A helicopter used in filming the Chuck Norris movie “Delta Force 2” crashed in a ravine today, killing three Americans and the Filipino pilot and seriously injuring four other Americans, police said.

Norris was not on board.

The scene called for the Dolphin helicopter to catch fire, said police investigator Jaime Talay, and it took several moments before the stunned crew on the ground realized that the crash was real.

Near Unfinished Mansion

The crash occurred near an unfinished hilltop mansion in the mountain resort of Tagaytay called the Palace in the Sky that ousted First Lady Imelda Marcos started building in 1983 as a guest house for a visit, never made, by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Police and members of the film crew said the helicopter had just taken off to film a scene when it veered to the left and plunged into a 40-foot ravine.

A fire truck stationed nearby helped extinguish the blaze, Talay said.

Talay identified the three dead Americans as electricians Don Marshall and Mike Graham and cameraman Gaddi Dansig.

The Filipino pilot, Jojo Imperial, died a few hours later in a hospital, officials said.

About 10 people were hospitalized in nearby Dasmarinas, but most had only minor injuries, a nurse said. Two were in critical condition and two others had serious but not life-threatening injuries, she said.

The injured were identified as American stunt men John Ryan, Jeff Brewer and Bani Simanthof and American actor Matthew Gomez. No hometowns were available, and hospital authorities refused to identify the critically injured.

On Location for 2 Months

The crew of “Delta Force 2” had been in the Philippines for two months and was due to finish filming May 27. The movie depicts the destruction of a Latin American drug syndicate.

It was the second accident involving a Norris film in the Philippines.

In 1987, a Philippine military Sikorsky helicopter used by Norris’ crew crashed in Manila Bay, killing three Filipino soldiers working as extras.