NBC4 News Helicopter Crashes in Los Angeles While Covering Deadly Bus Collision, Killing Three

NewsChopper4 went down in Chatsworth while covering another fatal accident nearby, killing its pilot, an aerial journalist and a person on the ground as federal investigators begin examining the cause.

 

 

 

An NBC4 Los Angeles news helicopter crashed in the Chatsworth neighborhood Tuesday evening while covering another deadly accident nearby, killing three people and triggering a federal investigation into what caused the aircraft to go down.

NewsChopper4 went down shortly before 7 p.m. near the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, between commercial buildings in the San Fernando Valley, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The aircraft was operated by Angel City Air and provided aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52. The stations confirmed that aerial journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were aboard.

Both Moreno and Marciniw were killed in the crash. Fire officials said a third person on the ground also died, while other people were evaluated or transported for medical treatment.

The helicopter struck an industrial storage area and erupted in flames, damaging several parked vehicles and storage containers before firefighters brought the fire under control and secured the surrounding scene.

At the time, several television helicopters were covering a separate collision involving an SUV and a Los Angeles Metro bus roughly a mile and a half from the helicopter crash site.

That earlier collision happened near Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue. Metro and NBC Los Angeles later reported that three people were killed and six others were hospitalized after the impact.

The sequence created an extraordinary double tragedy in Chatsworth: journalists sent to document one fatal emergency became victims of a second disaster while emergency crews were already stretched across the neighborhood.

NBC4 anchors initially told viewers that the station had lost contact with its helicopter crew. Later in the live broadcast, anchor Colleen Williams confirmed that NewsChopper4 had crashed.

The station briefly interrupted its coverage as journalists processed the deaths of colleagues. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 later issued a joint statement offering condolences to the victims’ families, friends and coworkers.

Moreno had become a familiar voice to Southern California viewers through years of aerial reporting. NBC said she had worked with the helicopter team since 2010 and covered countless breaking-news events.

Marciniw was an experienced helicopter pilot who had worked alongside Moreno in recent years. Their deaths prompted tributes from colleagues who described the pair as valued members of Los Angeles journalism.

Investigators had not announced a cause by Wednesday morning. The National Transportation Safety Board said it would lead the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration also participating in the inquiry.

Federal authorities are beginning the evidence-gathering process, but no official explanation for the crash has been released, and determining probable cause could require a lengthy technical investigation.

Officials cautioned against speculation while evidence is still being collected. Early images showed severe fire and impact damage, meaning investigators may need significant time to reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the night as tragic and expressed sympathy for those affected by both crashes, while California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked first responders and offered condolences to grieving families.

The crash also renewed attention on the risks associated with television news helicopters, which routinely operate over congested urban areas while crews gather real-time images of fires, pursuits, accidents and emergencies.

Fatal news-helicopter accidents are uncommon but not unprecedented in the United States. Associated Press identified multiple deadly crashes involving television aircraft since 2000, including previous incidents involving local news crews.

For NBC4, the tragedy unfolded publicly as the newsroom continued reporting on its own loss. The station’s coverage shifted from documenting a traffic disaster to confirming the deaths of members of its team.

As federal investigators begin their work, the central unanswered question remains why NewsChopper4 suddenly went down. Until investigators release findings, any claim about mechanical failure, pilot error or another cause remains unconfirmed.