A news helicopter working for NBC Los Angeles went down Tuesday evening as it covered a deadly crash involving a Metro bus, the station and officials said. Angel City Air operated the aircraft, which was flying for the station, when crews said they lost contact with the people on board.
According to NBC News, the aircraft came down in a parking lot at or near a self-storage site in Chatsworth, in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles Fire Department said, along with video shot on the ground by NBC Los Angeles. Officials said three people were dead at the scene.
The station reported that it had lost contact with its crew. Anchor Colleen Williams said, “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.” She added, “We’re going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process and to regroup.”
Crew members named after the aircraft crash that followed a Metro bus wreck
Fire Battalion Chief Rico A. Gross told reporters at a late-night briefing that three people were dead at the scene and two others were taken to a hospital. He said their conditions were not available. Fire Capt. Branden Silverman said earlier that one of those killed appeared to be a pedestrian who was on the ground when the helicopter went down.
NBC Los Angeles identified the two people in the aircraft as Angel City Air workers Eliana Moreno, an aerial photojournalist known to viewers of the station and Telemundo 52, and pilot George Marciniw.
The station reported that Moreno was born in Orange County, graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with degrees in broadcast journalism and political science, and joined Angel City Air’s helicopter team that same year.
The station also reported that Marciniw grew up in Southern California and graduated from Burbank High School.
In a joint statement, NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 said, “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.” They added, “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
The aircraft crash came after a Metro bus and a passenger vehicle collided on Nordhoff Street, killing two people and injuring others, the fire department said. The incident highlights the dangers faced by first responders and bystanders at crash scenes, as seen when bystanders helped rescue passengers from a burning jet after a deadly crash on a Texas highway.
Officials said that wreck happened at 5:03 p.m. and that firefighters worked to free people who were trapped and to check passengers on the bus. NBC Los Angeles reported earlier that more than one aircraft had been covering that scene.
Silverman said firefighters and police were already nearby. After the helicopter crash was reported shortly before 7 p.m., they found the aircraft on fire, and the flames had spread to parked vehicles close by, he said. Angel City Air did not immediately comment Tuesday night.
Zareh Sevanesian said he and his wife, Allyona, were driving nearby when he noticed the helicopter dropping in an unusual way. The crash adds to a troubling pattern of helicopter accidents, such as when a mid-air collision killed six people.
“As we were driving I looked over to my left,” he said. “I saw the helicopter – something didn’t look right. And I told my wife, ‘That helicopter is not flying right.’” He said it slowly lost height, then he stopped near the wreck as the fire grew. “It was one of the most violent fires I had ever seen,” Sevanesian recalled.
He said he then saw a person down by the wreckage and three other people “screaming uncontrollably.” Allyona said, “It was very terrifying and sad for everyone.” The fire department said the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will take part in the investigation.
Published: Sep 16, 2026 07:00 am