Three people were killed and one person was hospitalized Tuesday night when an NBC4/Telemundo 52 news helicopter crashed a few blocks from the site of a deadly Metro bus collision in Chatsworth, authorities and local outlets said. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the helicopter went down between commercial buildings on Mason Avenue, igniting a fire that burned vehicles and storage containers before crews put it out.
According to the Fire Department’s incident update, four patients were assessed at the helicopter scene: three were pronounced dead there and one was taken to a hospital. CBS Los Angeles and the Associated Press later reported that two people were transported. ABC7 and FOX 11 said one of the people who died was a pedestrian on the ground, and NBC4 identified the two people aboard the helicopter as aerial reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. Both outlets said the aircraft provided coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52, and AP reported the pair were employees of Angel City Air, the operator of the chopper.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating. Officials did not release a possible cause. LAFD said there was no fire damage to nearby structures. NBC4 anchors told viewers the station lost contact with its helicopter team shortly before the crash; the station later confirmed the aircraft was its helicopter. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called it a tragic day and thanked first responders who worked two major emergencies in the same neighborhood.
The helicopter went down as multiple crews were already covering a violent bus crash less than a mile away. Earlier, an SUV collided with an eastbound Metro bus at an intersection, trapping riders and triggering a large rescue operation, the Los Angeles Times reported. Initial counts varied: LAFD first described two deaths and multiple injuries, while other outlets reported different totals. The Times said L.A. Metro indicated the SUV struck the bus; the severity of injuries for those taken to area hospitals was not immediately available.
Local leaders offered condolences to both sets of victims. On Tuesday night, Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath praised firefighters and paramedics managing two scenes nearly at once. Stations across the market noted the tight-knit nature of the city’s aerial news community and identified Moreno and Marciniw as longstanding colleagues who frequently flew together to cover breaking stories.
Why it matters
For Angelenos, this was a rare double tragedy in a busy part of the Valley: a fatal transit crash followed by a deadly media helicopter crash minutes away. The investigations could shape how news flights are managed around major incidents and what safety steps are emphasized for crews and bystanders on the ground. It’s also a reminder that first responders may need to be ready to split resources quickly when big emergencies stack up in the same area.