A Los Angeles news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth on Tuesday evening while covering a deadly Metro bus collision, killing NBC4 aerial reporter Eliana “Eli” Moreno, veteran pilot George Marciniw and a person on the ground.
The helicopter, operated by Angel City Air for NBC4 and Telemundo 52, went down shortly before 7 p.m. between commercial buildings in the 9100 block of Mason Avenue.
The crash sparked a fire that damaged four vehicles and two storage containers. Two other people were taken to hospital.
Moreno was a familiar face in Southern California news
Moreno had built a career covering Southern California from the air, reporting on police pursuits, wildfires, traffic incidents and major breaking-news events.
She graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science and began working with Angel City Air that same year.
She had also worked with KCAL 9 and KCBS 2 before becoming a familiar presence aboard NewsChopper4.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 confirmed that Moreno and Marciniw were the two people aboard the aircraft.
Marciniw had extensive helicopter experience
Marciniw was a veteran Southern California pilot and a 1974 graduate of Burbank High School.
He and Moreno had been flying together since 2023 while providing aerial coverage for local television news.
The helicopter was an Eurocopter AS350 B2.
Investigators have not yet determined what caused the aircraft to lose altitude and crash.
News station lost contact with its crew
The crash unfolded while NBC4 was covering an earlier deadly collision involving a Metro bus and an SUV.
On air, longtime NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams became visibly emotional as she told viewers that the station had lost contact with its helicopter crew.
The station later confirmed that the aircraft involved was NewsChopper4.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 subsequently issued a joint statement expressing condolences to the victims’ relatives, friends and colleagues.
Helicopter crashed near the bus collision scene
The aircraft had been providing aerial footage of the earlier crash, which occurred around 5 p.m. at an intersection in Chatsworth.
An SUV collided with a Metro bus, killing two people and injuring several others.
Images from the scene showed the front portion of the SUV lodged into the side of the bus, while emergency crews worked to free people trapped in the wreckage.
More than 70 firefighters ultimately responded to the helicopter crash, according to authorities.
The aircraft came down in a parking area between commercial structures and caught fire.
A third person, who was on the ground, was killed. The Los Angeles County coroner later identified that victim as 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia.
Final moments captured during live coverage
Video recorded during the helicopter’s live broadcast has become a key part of the investigation.
The footage shows the aircraft hovering before its engine sound changes and the helicopter begins descending.
Investigators said the recording captured warning tones from inside the cockpit and will be examined as part of the effort to establish what happened.
NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar said the video is an important piece of evidence because it contains both visual and audio information from the moments immediately preceding the crash.
Investigators examine possible mechanical problems
Authorities have not publicly established the cause of the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are examining the wreckage and are expected to review maintenance records, weather conditions, pilot training and witness accounts.
The NTSB has also said investigators are studying the sounds recorded during the final moments of the flight, including indications that the engine speed changed before the helicopter descended.
Los Angeles officials mourn the victims
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed condolences to the families affected by both crashes and thanked emergency crews who responded to the scene.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also offered condolences to the victims’ families and the NBC4 community, while FCC Chairman Brendan Carr described the news as deeply sad.
At NBC4, colleagues mourned Moreno and Marciniw as journalists who were working when the helicopter went down while covering a major breaking-news story.
