Three people are dead after a news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles while covering another deadly accident. The NBC Los Angeles chopper was over the scene of a fatal bus crash Tuesday evening when it went down in a parking lot in Chatsworth, in the San Fernando Valley.
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Officials say the pilot and photojournalist on board were killed, along with a person on the ground. Two other people were taken to the hospital.
The accident the crew had been covering was already deadly — three people were killed in the bus crash.
What we know so far
The helicopter was operated by Angel City Air, an aerial production company affiliated with the station. NBC Los Angeles lost contact with the chopper while it was on the air just before 7 p.m. local time.
“We knew it was a news chopper, we knew we’d lost contact with our people out there, and we’ve just received the confirmation that, in fact, NewsChopper 4 went down just before 7 o’clock tonight in Chatsworth,” anchor Colleen Williams said. “We’re going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process and to regroup.”
The two people on board were identified as photojournalist Eliana Moreno, who worked with Angel City Air and Telemundo 52, and pilot George Marciniw. NBC Los Angeles said they began flying together in 2023.
“We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening,” NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 confirmed in a joint statement. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
Fire Captain Branden Silverman said the third person killed appeared to have been a pedestrian on the ground when the helicopter crashed. That person has not yet been publicly identified.
“As we were driving I looked over to my left,” witness Zareh Sevanesian told NBC. “I saw the helicopter — something didn’t look right. And I told my wife, ‘That helicopter is not flying right.’”
Sevanesian said he pulled over near the crash site and encountered “one of the most violent fires I had ever seen.” He said he saw one person down near the wreckage and three others nearby who were “screaming uncontrollably.”
The response
Dozens of firefighters responded to the scene of the crash, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged by fire before the flames were extinguished.
“This is a heartbreaking night for our city, and my thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with the families and loved ones that we lost today,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during a news conference Tuesday night.
With two deadly crashes at nearly the same scene, L.A. officials acknowledged the toll on those involved and the people who responded.
“This has been a deeply traumatic day for far too many people,” City Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said. “We need to recognize that trauma, and we need to make sure that the people who need our support in the days ahead receive it.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are now investigating the helicopter crash alongside the Los Angeles Police Department.
“There are serious questions about what happened tonight,” Horvath added. “We share a commitment with our city partners, with our partners at Metro, federal agencies and our public safety agencies to fully understand what happened.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement on social media calling the crashes “devastating” and thanking the first responders who worked “tirelessly.”
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