NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams has been forced to admit that his compelling 2003 account of surviving a ride-along in a military helicopter downed by ground fire in Iraq was not true.
In fact, he told viewers in an apology at the end of last night’s national bulletin, his helicopter had not been shot down. But somebody else’s had.
“I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago,” Williams told the studio camera.
“I want to apologise. I said I was travelling in an aircraft that was hit by fire. Instead, I was in the following aircraft,”
The: NBC posted this on Facebook Source: Supplied
Now: NBC posted Williams’ apology to Facebook Source: Supplied
The 55-year-old is one of America’s most recognised journalists. He has covered the some of the world’s biggest stories, reporting on Hurricane Katrina from New Orleans, taking an African road trip with U2 frontman Bono and embedding with US troops in Afghanistan. He has interviewed everyone from Chelsea Clinton to Edward Snowden.
But his most compelling story — and the one he told the most often — was about getting shot down in a military helicopter in Iraq.
Brian Williams, one of America’s most famous faces. Source: Supplied
On Friday, during an NBC special report broadcast from a Rangers game, Williams paid tribute to Command Sgt. Major Tim Terpack, who had protected him in Iraq.
“The story actually started with a terrible moment a dozen years back during the invasion of Iraq when the helicopter we were travelling in was forced down after being hit by (a rocket-propelled grenade),” Williams said, launching into his signature story.
“Our travelling NBC News team was rescued, surrounded and kept alive by an armour mechanised platoon from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry.”
It was the last time he would tell it.
@NBCNightlyNews anchor #BrianWilliams admits he was not on the Titanic when it sank! "I apologize..." pic.twitter.com/fdTf2QG4IV
— JaeW (@jaewiki) February 5, 2015 #BrianWilliamsMisremembers -being with SEAL Team 6 when they killed bin Laden.
— Angela #DestroyISIS (@angelacarwile) February 5, 2015
After the broadcast, military newspaper Stars & Stripes tracked down the crew from the downed helicopter, only to discover their recollection of events was not the same as that of Williams.
The newspaper confronted the newsman, who quickly admitted to the “mistake” and apologised.
“I would not have chosen to make this mistake,” he told Stars & Stripes.
“I don’t know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another. We never came under direct enemy fire to the aircraft.”
Brian Williams has a huge fanbase in the US Source: Supplied
The crew told the newspaper Williams had arrived on a different helicopter — about an hour after a Chinook with the 159th Aviation Regiment was shot down by enemy fire.
Williams had been nowhere near the targeted aircraft, they said.
Williams has been lampooned mercilessly social media networks since his admission. He has also posted a long and detailed apology to NBC’s Facebook page, claiming he’d “conflated”
two different incidents and deeply regretted the error.
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