Top US television anchor Brian Williams has said he was taking himself off the air for "several days" as he faces an internal investigation for embellishing an Iraq war story.
The 55-year-old admitted earlier this week that a story he often repeated on air about coming under fire was not true.
Mr Williams reportedly earns $10m a year and is watched by an estimated nine million Americans a night.
On Friday, NBC launched an internal investigation about Mr Williams's claims that he came under fire in a helicopter in 2003, amid criticism from troops who were present at the time.
His on-air apology on Wednesday further fanned the flames, with critics refusing to accept Mr Williams simply made an honest mistake.
He is now facing further scrutiny about his coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
A hugely respected journalist in the United States, Mr Williams has anchored "NBC Nightly News" since 2004.
In December, he renewed his contract with NBC for five years.
"In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions," Mr Williams said in a note posted on NBC's website yesterday.
"As managing editor of 'NBC Nightly News,' I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue," he added.
"Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us."
The anchor had been nowhere near the fired upon helicopter or other Chinooks in its formation, crew members of the Chinook helicopter and Mr Williams' aircraft told a US publication that covers the armed forces.
He instead arrived an hour later in a separate helicopter, which landed due to an oncoming sandstorm.
Lance Reynolds, the flight engineer on the helicopter that was hit, told Stars and Stripes: "It was something personal for us that was kind of life-changing for me.
"I know how lucky I was to survive it.
"It felt like a personal experience that someone else wanted to participate in and didn't deserve to participate in."
Mr Williams said the story was "a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran and by extension our brave military men and women, veterans everywhere, those who have served while I did not".
