FIRST OFF . . .

A helicopter carrying eight people filming a Chuck Norris action movie crashed and exploded Tuesday in the Philippines, killing three Americans and the Filipino pilot and injuring up to 10 others. Two of the injured, both American stunt men, were in critical condition. Two other American stunt men were seriously hurt but were not in life-threatening condition. The three dead Americans were identified as electricians Don Marshall and Mike Graham and cameraman Gaddi Dansig. Police said the Dolphin helicopter crashed at the foot of a hill near a mansion once owned by former president Ferdinand Marcos in Tagaytay, a mountain resort city 30 miles south of Manila. The scene being filmed for “Delta Force 2” called for the helicopter to catch fire, and it took several moments before the crew on the ground realized the crash was real. The Filipino pilot, Jojo Imperial, died a few hours later in a local hospital. The accident was the second involving a Norris film in the Philippines. In 1987, a Philippine military Sikorsky helicopter rented by Norris’ crew crashed in Manila Bay, killing three Filipino soldiers who had been working as extras in “Missing in Action, Part III--Braddock.”