Three people were killed after a television news helicopter crashed Tuesday evening in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles. The helicopter was being used by NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 to cover another deadly crash nearby.
The helicopter, known as NewsChopper4, went down shortly before 7 p.m. near the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue in the San Fernando Valley.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said the helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings. The crash started a fire that damaged several vehicles and storage containers.
NBC4 identified the two people on board as aerial reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. Both worked for Angel City Air, a company that provides helicopter news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52.
A third person on the ground was also killed. At least one other person was taken to a hospital. Officials had not released that person’s condition when the latest information became available.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said 56 firefighters responded to the crash. Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged by fire. Nearby commercial buildings did not catch fire.
Witnesses said the helicopter appeared to be having problems shortly before the crash. One witness told NBC4 that she saw the aircraft swaying before smoke became visible. Another witness said the helicopter came down quickly before the area caught fire.
The cause of the crash has not been determined.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating. Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage, maintenance records, flight information, weather conditions and other evidence.
The crash happened while the helicopter was covering another deadly accident nearby.
About two hours earlier, an SUV and a Los Angeles Metro bus crashed near Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth.
Authorities said the SUV was traveling south on De Soto Avenue when it crashed into a Metro Line 166 bus that was traveling east on Nordhoff Street.
Photos and video from the scene showed part of the SUV pushed into the side of the bus.
The Los Angeles Fire Department first reported two deaths and six people taken to hospitals. Metro later reported that three people had died and six others were injured.
Investigators have not yet said what caused the SUV and bus to collide.
NewsChopper4 was one of several news helicopters flying over the area to provide live coverage of the bus crash when it went down.
Moreno had worked in aerial news coverage in Southern California since 2010. She studied broadcast journalism and political science at Chapman University before joining the helicopter news team.
Marciniw was a longtime Southern California pilot. NBC4 said Moreno and Marciniw had regularly flown together since 2023.
NBC4 anchors were reporting on the helicopter crash before learning that the aircraft was their own news helicopter. The station later confirmed the deaths of Moreno and Marciniw during its live coverage.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 released a statement saying they were deeply saddened by the crash and offered condolences to the families, friends and coworkers of those killed.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the evening devastating and thanked firefighters, paramedics and police officers who responded to both crash scenes. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also offered condolences to the victims’ families and the NBC4 news team.
Based on the latest reports, three people were killed in the Metro bus crash and three more were killed in the helicopter crash.
Federal investigators will now work to determine why NewsChopper4 went down. A final report could take months or longer as investigators study the aircraft, flight records and witness statements.
