An NBC4/Telemundo 52 news helicopter crashed in a commercial parking lot near a self-storage facility in the Los Angeles suburb of Chatsworth yesterday evening while covering a fatal Los Angeles Metro bus collision. Aerial photojournalist Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and a bystander on the ground were killed in the accident involving the Airbus Helicopters AS350B2.
Shortly after 5 pm local time, the helicopter had been dispatched to cover a collision between a Metro bus and an SUV in northwest Los Angeles that killed two and left others in critical condition, according to the fire department and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Angel City Air operated the AStar, which was registered as N358TV and known on air as NewsChopper 4.
The helicopter was one of several aircraft covering the scene. Witnesses say they saw it swaying before losing altitude and crashing at approximately 6:57 p.m. local time.
Fire and police units nearby at the bus collision rushed to the wreckage and found it in flames, which firefighters extinguished, officials said. In addition to the three people killed at the scene, two others were reported hospitalized; their conditions have not yet been released.
Speaking near the scene last night, Bass called it a “very, very tragic day in Los Angeles. We lost five Angelenos today, and my heart certainly goes out to the family and friends of all of those that we lost,” she said. She thanked firefighters, paramedics and police officers who “responded immediately to two incredibly difficult scenes to save lives and render aid.” She said her office’s crisis response team was assisting victims’ families and witnesses. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also offered condolences in a statement on X: “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.”
NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams confirmed the accident on air. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 expressed condolences to “the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
The NTSB is leading the investigation, with FAA participation.
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