Authorities have identified the third person killed in the fatal NBC4 helicopter crash in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, as 29-year-old Guatemalan national Edy Fernando Gutiérrez Mejia.
Known to relatives and friends as Pichi, Mejia had reportedly been in Los Angeles for only two days when the news helicopter plunged into a parking lot shortly before 7pm on Tuesday.
He was on the ground when the aircraft crashed and caught fire.
Mejia had been in the area to collect a vehicle that he planned to drive back to his hometown of Cuilapa, Guatemala, where he intended to sell it, according to a cousin who spoke with NBC News.
His family is now working to have his remains transported back to Guatemala.
Family Mourns Man Remembered for His Kindness
Mejia’s death has left his relatives struggling to come to terms with a tragedy they never expected.
Karla Padilla, a family member, described the crash as an event that had created an “unfillable void” and profound grief.
An online fundraiser has been established to help cover funeral expenses and the cost of returning his remains to Guatemala.
Those who knew Mejia remembered him as a warm and energetic person who valued his family and friends.
Photos and posts on his social media accounts showed him playing soccer, travelling and spending time with people close to him.
The mayor’s office in Cuilapa also expressed its condolences, offering prayers for Mejia and asking for strength and patience for his grieving family.
NBC4 Reporter and Pilot Also Killed
Mejia was not the only person who died in the crash.
NBC4 Los Angeles reporter Eliana “Eli” Moreno, 38, and pilot George Marciniw, 70, were also killed when the Eurocopter AS350B2 went down while Moreno was covering a fatal bus collision in the Chatsworth area.
Moreno was a veteran aerial journalist who had spent years reporting from helicopters.
She began flying in news choppers in 2010 after graduating from Chapman University, where she studied broadcast journalism and political science.
Before joining NBC4, she worked for KCAL 9 and KCBS 2.
She later became a familiar presence aboard NewsChopper4, where she covered police pursuits, wildfires, traffic incidents and major breaking news events.
Marciniw was an experienced helicopter pilot with more than 14,000 flight hours. He and Moreno had reportedly been working together since 2023.
Emotional Scenes at NBC4 Following the Crash
The deaths sent shockwaves through the Los Angeles newsroom, where colleagues were reporting on the incident as it unfolded.
NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams told viewers that the station had lost contact with its news helicopter and the people aboard it.
“We have lost contact with our people,” Williams said during the live coverage, as the seriousness of the situation became clear.
The station later confirmed that the aircraft involved was its NewsChopper4.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass subsequently joined the response and was photographed consoling NBC4 reporter Robert Kovacik.
A memorial was also established at Whiteman Airport for Moreno and Marciniw.
Investigators Turn to the Helicopter’s Final Broadcast
The National Transportation Safety Board is now examining the helicopter’s live broadcast as investigators work to determine what caused the crash.
Fabian Salazar, the NTSB investigator in charge, said the footage captured during Moreno’s final report could become one of the most important pieces of evidence in the investigation.
Investigators want to obtain a high-quality copy of the recording and send it to an NTSB laboratory for detailed sound analysis.
According to Salazar, investigators can hear changes in the helicopter’s engine speed in the recording, along with tones that may have been warnings or advisories directed at the pilot.
The footage initially showed the aftermath of the bus collision from the air. The sound of the helicopter’s engine could be heard in the background before it suddenly appeared to change.
A warning tone then sounded as the helicopter’s rotor speed apparently fell.
Moreno could be heard saying, “Uh oh,” before the aircraft’s camera began moving downward and shaking.
She then asked Marciniw, “You can’t pull up?”
The helicopter subsequently struck the ground and erupted into flames.
Experts Examine Possible Mechanical Failure
Investigators have not yet established the cause of the crash, but aviation specialists have examined the sounds captured in the broadcast for clues.
Zoey Tur, a veteran news helicopter pilot who previously operated the same type of aircraft, told the Los Angeles Times that the recording sounded consistent with an engine shutting down.
She explained that an engine losing power would reduce power available to the rotor system, potentially triggering a low-rotor-RPM warning.
Other aviation specialists have noted that the aircraft was operating at low altitude, apparently while hovering or moving slowly.
Such conditions can leave helicopter pilots with limited options if an engine suddenly loses power.
Jack Cress, a former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot and accident investigation instructor at the University of Southern California, described the apparent flight conditions as particularly difficult for a pilot experiencing an engine problem.
Former NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration investigator Jeff Guzzetti also pointed out that news and police helicopters frequently operate at low altitude and low speed, conditions that can become especially dangerous if an aircraft experiences a sudden loss of power.
The observations remain part of the broader investigation and do not establish a final cause.
Wreckage, Maintenance Records and Surveillance Footage Under Review
The NTSB investigation will extend beyond the broadcast recording.
Investigators are collecting evidence from the crash site and will eventually move the helicopter to a secure facility for a more detailed examination.
Maintenance records and weather conditions at the time of the incident will also be reviewed.
Investigators are expected to seek surveillance footage from nearby buildings that could provide additional information about the helicopter’s final moments.
The aircraft was owned by Tiny Bubbles Aviation Inc., a holding company with a business address at Whiteman Airport.
Public records list Lawrence Welk as an agent for the company.
Welk is also president of Welk Aviation, which owns and operates news helicopters used by KNBC and KTLA.
He confirmed that the company is cooperating with investigators.
Final Cause Could Take Months to Establish
The investigation is expected to develop in stages, with a preliminary report anticipated within 30 days.
A final report identifying the probable cause of the crash could take considerably longer, potentially as much as 18 months.
Until that investigation is completed, authorities have not determined exactly why the helicopter lost control.
For the families of Mejia, Moreno and Marciniw, however, the technical investigation is unfolding alongside the immediate task of mourning three lives lost in a crash that unfolded within moments during a live news assignment.
