More details are emerging after a local news helicopter crashed in a Los Angeles neighborhood on Tuesday evening, killing two people on board and one person on the ground.
Eliana Moreno, an aerial photojournalist, and pilot George Marciniw were identified as two of the victims.
Authorities said the helicopter crashed in the Chatsworth area, in the San Fernando Valley, at around 7pm local time, while it was covering another deadly crash involving a bus and an SUV.
The bus crash occurred at around 5pm local time, killing two people and sending multiple others to a hospital. The helicopter came down around two hours later, killing three people, officials said, and multiple people were also brought to a hospital.
The helicopter was reporting for NBC4, the local NBC affiliate, the station announced on Tuesday evening.
During a later broadcast, Coleen Williams, an NBC4 Los Angeles news anchor, confirmed live on-air that two of the station’s colleagues were aboard the helicopter and were killed in the crash. Williams identified them as Moreno and Marciniw.
The third person killed was a pedestrian near the crash site, fire officials said, and their identity is unknown.
“We’re coming on the air with heavy hearts tonight because we lost valued friends and colleagues just before 7 pm,” Williams said. “News Chopper 4 crashed in Chatsworth while on assignment tonight. Both people on board and a third person on the ground were killed. Our crew was there covering a deadly crash involving a bus and an SUV just a couple of blocks away.”
The anchors said that Moreno was born and raised in Orange county and graduated from Chapman University with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science. Marciniw grew up in southern California and graduated from Burbank high school in 1974. The two began flying together in 2023.
The station’s first story of the evening was “supposed to be with News Chopper 4” but that “all of a sudden, we lost contact with the chopper”, the anchors said.
NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 issued a joint statement expressing condolences: “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. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
At a news conference Tuesday night, Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, said that it was a “very, very, very tragic day” for the city.
“We lost five Angelenos today,” Bass said. “And my heart certainly go out to the family and friends of all of those that we lost. This is a heartbreaking night for our city and my thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with the families and loved ones that we lost today. Our hearts are with those impacted by the bus collision and the helicopter crash, and with the entire community who lost members of their team while they were doing their job.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said it will be investigating the helicopter crash.
Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, released a statement on Tuesday night on the incident, saying 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,” he added.
