A helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 crashed Tuesday evening in Chatsworth, leaving three people dead and another person hospitalized.
The crash happened shortly before 7 p.m. in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue in Chatsworth, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The helicopter went down between two commercial buildings and caught fire, damaging four vehicles and two storage containers.
NBC4 confirmed that the aircraft was NewsChopper4, operated by Angel City Air. The helicopter had been covering a separate deadly Metro bus crash in the San Fernando Valley when it went down.
Among those killed were Eliana Moreno, an aerial reporter who worked with NBC4 and Telemundo 52, and George Marciniw, the helicopter’s pilot. Both were employees of Angel City Air.
Moreno was a familiar presence during aerial news coverage throughout Southern California. She was born in Orange County and graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. She joined the Angel City Air helicopter team in September 2010 and worked with several Southern California media outlets during her career.
Marciniw was also a longtime Southern California resident and graduated from Burbank High School in 1974. Moreno and Marciniw had been flying together since 2023.
Witnesses described seeing the helicopter appear to sway before suddenly going down. One witness said the aircraft erupted into a fireball after striking the ground.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed condolences to the families of those killed in both the bus and helicopter crashes, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom also offered condolences to the victims’ families and the NBC4 family.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is gathering information and will determine whether investigators will be sent to the scene. As of the latest report, the cause of the helicopter crash remains unclear.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 said in a statement that they were deeply saddened by the fatal accident and extended their condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.
Sending our deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of Eliana Moreno, George Marciniw and the other victim. We also continue to keep everyone affected by the Chatsworth tragedies in our thoughts and prayers.
