False alarm! Climb out of your bunkers – there was no plane crash downtown today.
WGN Morning News pulled a major whoopsie on air this morning in reporting a plane crash at King and 29th, only to find out that it was just a part of filming for the NBC show “Chicago Fire.”
The network’s traffic helicopter captured the scene and morning anchors Larry Potash and Robin Baumgarten reported the crash from the news desk. They went so far as to say there were injuries before realizing the mistake. Oops!
The Office of News Affairs for the real Chicago Fire Department sent out a tweet to clarify that the crash was a simulation and to disregard the news report.
Potash and Baumgarten owned up to the mistake and even redeemed themselves by turning the false report into a running gag by airing clips from ‘Godzilla’ and warning those at Navy Pier to get off the Ferris wheel.
“We don’t call it #mustwatch for no reason. Another solid journalstic effort today,” WGN later tweeted.
[View the story “WGN reports plane crash – turns out to be scene for NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’” on Storify]
