A news helicopter covering a Metro bus accident in Los Angeles last night crashed, killing two people on board and one person on the ground.
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Per NBC Los Angeles, the helicopter plummeted into a parking lot near a storage facility in the San Fernando Valley community of Chatsworth. Angel City Air owned the aircraft, which was affiliated with NBC Los Angeles. The outlet lost contact with the helicopter live on air.
"We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we'd lost contact with our people out there. We've just received the confirmation that, in fact, NewsChopper 4 went down just before 7 o'clock tonight in Chatsworth," anchor Colleen Williams explained to viewers at home, per NBC News. "We're going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process and to regroup."
"From the helicopter itself, it's pretty well destroyed," Fire Capt. Brandon Silverman told NBC Los Angeles at the scene. "So we are going to have to go through the rubble and see how many victims there were on board, as well as identify the helicopter. We couldn't even see a tail."
An eyewitness told the outlet that the chopper spewed flames, instantly ablaze after hitting the pavement. Another witness described seeing the helicopter swaying strangely moments before the crash.
Fire Battalion Chief Rico A. Gross revealed at a news conference later that night that three people died at the scene. Meanwhile, crews rushed two other people to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown at the time of this writing.
Identities of Two Who Died in News Helicopter Crash Revealed
The two people killed aboard the chopper were later identified as Angel City Air employees Eliana Moreno, an aerial photojournalist, and pilot George Marciniw. The two began flying together for Angel City Air in 2023. Through the company, Moreno and Marciniw routinely worked for NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52.
The pedestrian killed in the crash has not been identified.
Meanwhile, NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 shared a joint statement in the wake of their tragic deaths.
"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," the stations wrote, per NBC News. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives."
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would be joining the National Transportation Safety Board in an investigation into the incident.
California Governor Gavin Newsom offered his condolences to the families of the victims of the horrible accident.
"Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight's devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family," he wrote on X last night. "Thank you to the first responders working tirelessly tonight," he added.
