News Chopper Crash
A television news helicopter crashes and burns in Los Angeles, killing the reporter, pilot and a bystander.
Three people died Tuesday night when a television news helicopter crashed and burned in the Chatsworth section of Los Angeles.
The aircraft went down shortly before 7 p.m., slamming into the ground between two commercial buildings, ABC News reported. NBC News identified the two victims aboard as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, both of NBC Los Angeles station KNBC. Angel City Air operated the aircraft under contract with the station, according to NBC News. A pedestrian on the ground also died. Authorities had not released that person's name as of Wednesday, NBC News said. A fourth person was hospitalized, ABC News reported.
Moreno and Marciniw had flown together since 2023, according to NBC News. The pair had logged hundreds of hours in the air, covering stories that included the January 2025 wildfires, ABC News said.
Chatsworth already had one disaster underway. A Metro bus and an SUV collided around 5 p.m., killing two people and injuring several others, ABC News reported. Multiple television helicopters had gathered over that crash scene when NewsChopper 4 went down nearby, NBC News reported.
Zareh Sevanesian watched it happen. The witness told NBC's "Today" show he saw the helicopter sway in the air before it lost altitude. "It was just getting lower and lower and lower and lower," he said.
Colleagues struggled on air. Lynette Romero, co-anchor of NBC Los Angeles's morning newscast, said the newsroom was heartbroken but took comfort in knowing Moreno and Marciniw died doing what they loved. "They loved breaking news, and they loved being in News Chopper 4," she said Wednesday on NBC's "Today" show.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called it "a heartbreaking night for our city." Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked emergency crews "working tirelessly tonight." Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna offered "deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of all those who tragically lost their lives," ABC News reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. No cause has been determined. NBC Los Angeles anchor Colleen Williams paused during Tuesday's broadcast to tell viewers the station had lost "valued friends and colleagues" while on assignment.