Tragedy on the set of ‘Twilight Zone’

July 23, 1982: During the filming of a Vietnam War scene for “Twilight Zone: The Movie,” a helicopter “fell out of control into the Santa Clara River,” hitting and instantly killing actor Vic Morrow and two children -- Renee Chin, 7, and Myca Dinh Le, 6, The Times reported.

Morrow had been leading the child actors across a shallow stream in Saugus during what was supposed to be an air attack on a Vietnamese village. Explosive charges were being set off in the water.

“One of the explosive fireballs apparently damaged or blew off the chopper’s tail rotor, throwing the ship out of control,” the newspaper said.

Nearly five years later, director John Landis and four associates were acquitted on involuntary manslaughter charges. The 10-month criminal trial was the first resulting from deaths on a movie set.