Local News Helicopter Crashes During Live Reporting, Killing 3

By John Loftus

A Los Angeles news helicopter crashed Tuesday during a live report, killing two crew members on board and a third person on the ground.

Angel City Air’s NewsChopper4 crashed while reporting on a separate bus crash in the northern Los Angeles neighborhood of Chatsworth, according to NBC Los Angeles. The outlet confirmed the two victims on board were Angel City Air employees Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, while a third person on the ground was also killed when the helicopter crashed. (RELATED: US Army Helicopters Crash At Historically High Rates As Mechanical Failures Are Investigated)

“From the helicopter itself, it’s pretty well destroyed,” Fire Capt. Brandon Silverman said. “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.”

A video posted on X shows the helicopter’s live shot as it dropped toward the ground, crashing between two commercial buildings. Moreno appears to ask Marciniw why he cannot pull up before the camera feed cuts out.

#BREAKING: NBC news helicopter crashes during live shot of bus crash in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/qEDWEauiST

— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) September 16, 2026

“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,” NBC4 and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles said in a statement. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”

Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom also released a statement.

“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 governor said.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The cause of the crash remains unclear.

Moreno and Marciniw were covering a deadly collision between an L.A. Metro bus and an SUV. That crash left three people dead and several injured, according to KTLA.