Chase is an ass, but John Landis’s Safety record really did need to be mocked. The man should be in prison for what he did.
The TLDR is that Landis broke a shitload of laws that were set up to specifically stop the tragedy that unfolded. Landis was a dictator style director, his word on set was law, nothing happened without his say so. Then at the trial, he basically said that he had zero control and blamed the pilot of the helicopter. Somehow he got off.
The simple facts,
A, Landis hired the preteen children for his movie without the required permits.
B, Children have strict working hours when they are allowed on set. Landis didn't want to shoot a daytime scene, so he ignored that law.
C, Pyrotechnics have some laws about use around children, Landis ignored them, and even hid the children from the fire warden.
D, It was technically not illegal to fly a helicopter through pyrotechnics the way Landis ordered, but it was for fixed wing craft.