A news helicopter operated by NBC Los Angeles crashed Tuesday evening in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles, killing three people, including photojournalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, according to the station, as reported by the BBC.
The helicopter, known as NewsChopper4 and also operated for Telemundo 52, was in the Chatsworth area covering a deadly traffic collision involving an SUV and a city bus when it went down.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said the helicopter crashed shortly before 7 p.m. local time between two commercial buildings.
BREAKING: TV news helicopter crashes during live shot of bus crash in Los Angeles.
The helicopter belongs to NBC Los Angeles (KNBC-TV). No word yet on casualties. pic.twitter.com/kXwgr5meOP
— BNO News (@BNONews) September 16, 2026
Fire from the crash spread to four vehicles and two storage containers, prompting a major emergency response involving more than 70 firefighters.
An unidentified pedestrian was also killed in the helicopter crash, while two other people were taken to a hospital, according to fire officials.
The helicopter had been covering a separate crash involving an SUV and a city bus.
Two people were killed, and six others were injured in that collision, according to CBS, the BBC’s U.S. news partner.
Several news helicopters were in the area at the time as television stations covered the bus crash.
News of the helicopter crash was confirmed during NBC4’s live coverage. Veteran anchor Colleen Williams told viewers that the aircraft belonged to the station.
“We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we’d lost contact with our people out there, and we’ve just received confirmation,” Williams said.
The loss of Moreno and Marciniw prompted an outpouring of condolences from colleagues throughout the Los Angeles news industry.
NBC Los Angeles hosts described the victims as “valued friends and colleagues.”
Mike Rogers, a CBS Los Angeles assignment editor, also addressed the loss while discussing the close-knit community of news helicopter crews.
“That helicopter community is a small group of people, and it’s just devastating to know that this has happened to one of those people, to our friends and our colleagues at NBC4,” Rogers said.
The third person killed in the helicopter crash appeared to have been on the ground, according to LAFD Captain Branden Silverman.
“That person was declared deceased on scene,” Silverman said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also issued a statement following the two crashes in Chatsworth.
She said she was “absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight”.
“My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash,” Bass wrote on X.
The Los Angeles Fire Department extended its “thoughts and prayers” to those affected by the incidents.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also commented on the crashes, writing on X that “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”.
“Thank you to the first responders working tirelessly tonight.”
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the helicopter crash.
Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s final moments and determine what caused it to go down.
The crash occurred as television crews were responding to a major traffic incident in the area, turning what began as routine news coverage into a deadly emergency involving members of the local news community.
Tributes from journalists and media organizations continued to emerge following confirmation of the deaths.
