Broken Arrow Company Concludes Investigation Into Falling Skycam At Bowl Game

Editor's note:  An earlier version of this story described Skycam as a Tulsa company.  Skycam is owned by Winnercomm, which is based in Tulsa, but Skycam itself is based in Broken Arrow. 

Skycam has wrapped up its investigation into that aerial camera that fell during the Insight Bowl last week. The camera plunged to the ground, narrowly missing an Iowa player.

Many have made light of the mishap, but the company which is based in Broken Arrow is taking it very seriously.

One of the most memorable moments in the Oklahoma-Iowa matchup at the Insight Bowl wasn't a highlight at all.

The Skycam is a camera suspended by cables over sporting events and controlled by computers.  

The Skycam being used at the Insight Bowl suddenly fell to the ground.

"At first I was like, 'What is that that fell out of the sky?'" said Marvin McNutt.

Iowa player Marvin McNutt didn't get hit, but got tangled in the cable attached to the camera.

"It was just pulling me and I knew I didn't want to go with it. I feel like someone was trying to kill me on that staff," McNutt joked.

Skycam isn't laughing at all and has now issued a public apology after conducting its own investigation.

"We have identified the issue to be the result of a detached bolt assembly, where a fastener came apart from a bolt on a corner of the Skycam housing," the company said in a statement.

The computer-controlled cable suspension system allows for 3D camera movement over major events. It's become a staple in television sports coverage, which is why Skycam grounded all of its systems after the Insight Bowl.

"We inspected all Skycam systems and have found no failures or weaknesses that would contribute to another incident of this nature," a company spokesperson said.

The company says before any other bowl games, it added redundant bolt assemblies and a secondary restraint system for additional safety.

The following is the full statement from a Skycam spokeperson: 

"We apologize for the accident and have conducted a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the problem. We have identified the issue to be the result of a detached bolt assembly, where a fastener came apart from a bolt on a corner of the Skycam housing. All Skycam systems were grounded while we carried out our investigation. We took a number of steps to correct the problem and ensure our Skycam systems are secure. First, we inspected all Skycam systems and have found no failures or weaknesses that would contribute to another incident of this nature. Second, prior to the next bowl game deployments we added redundant bolt assemblies and a secondary restraint system as additional safety measures. We have also reviewed and updated our inspection and emergency procedures, which have been immediately put in place. We have communicated our findings to the appropriate television networks and the NFL. We regret the incident and are confident the steps we are taking have corrected the problem and have provided an added layer of security to our systems."