A news helicopter crashed in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, resulting in at least three fatalities . The aircraft, used by NBC and Telemundo, went down while crews were reporting on a separate collision involving a city bus and an SUV.
The loss of Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw
The crash claimed the lives of two individuals aboard the NewsChopper4, identified by NBC4 as Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. Both were employees of Angel City Air, the company that operates the helicopter for NBCLA and Telemundo 52. According to the NBC4 website, Moreno had been a familiar presence in Southern California aerial coverage since joining the Angel City Air team in 2010 after earning her degree from Chapman University.
Marciniw, a Southern California native, was also aboard the aircraft at the time of the accident. The loss of these experienced crew members marks a significant blow to the local news community, as both were integral to the station's ability to provide real-time visual reporting to the San Fernando Valley.
Fire and wreckage in the Chatsworth neighborhood
The accident occurred in the Chatsworth area just before 7 p.m., near a large storage facility. As the helicopter went down, it burst into flames, destroying the aircraft and igniting at least four cars and two storage containers on the ground. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that the crash happened approximately 2.4 kilometers away from the initial bus and SUV collision that the news crew was documenting.
The scene was described by fire officials as being heavily destroyed,with the wreckage so severe that investigators could not even identify a tail section during the initial response. While the helicopter fire was quickly extinguished, the impact and subsequent blaze caused significant damage to the surrounding commercial property and parked vehicles.
A pattern of eight fatal news helicopter crashes since 2000
This incident adds to a troubling history of aviation accidents within the news industry. Federal accident records and news accounts indicate there have been at least eight fatal crashes involving news helicopters in the United States since 2000, resulting in 16 deaths. These include a 2023 crash in a New Jersey forest involving a WPVI helicopter and a 2022 crash in North Carolina involving a WBTV aircraft.
These recurring accidents highlight the inherent dangers of aerial journalism, where crews must navigate complex airspace to provide breaking coverage.. The frequency of these events suggests a systemic risk that continues to affect news organizations across the country.
What the NTSB must determine about the Chatsworth wreckage
While the NTSB and FAA are beginning their investigation, several critical details remain unverified. Investigators must determine the exact cause of the descent, whether it was due to mechaanical failure or pilot error, and clarify the circumstances surrounding the third victim killed on the ground. as reported by the Associated Press,the identity of the individual killed in the parking lot next to the commercial building has not yet been released.
The investigation will also look into the timeline of the two separate accidents, as the helicopter crash occurred only two hours after an SUV slammed into a city bus, killing at least two people and injuring six others. Determining if there were any external factors contributing to the helicopter's loss of control remains a primary objective for federal authorities.
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