The aircraft went down in Chatsworth while covering a nearby Metro bus collision that had already killed three people.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Three people were killed Tuesday evening when a news helicopter providing aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 crashed in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles while covering another deadly accident nearby.
The helicopter, known as NewsChopper4, went down shortly before 7 p.m. Sept. 15 between two commercial buildings in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue. NBC4 identified two of the people killed as aerial reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. Los Angeles fire officials said a third person was killed on the ground. The crash occurred as television crews were covering a collision involving an SUV and a Los Angeles Metro bus that killed three people earlier in the evening.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said 56 firefighters responded after the helicopter crashed and a fire spread to nearby property. Four automobiles and two storage containers were damaged, but the flames did not spread to surrounding buildings. Fire officials said four patients were assessed at the crash scene. Three were pronounced dead, and one person was taken to a hospital in unknown condition.
NBC4 said NewsChopper4 was operated by Angel City Air and provided aerial reporting for NBC4 and Telemundo 52. Moreno and Marciniw were employees of the helicopter operator, according to news reports. Moreno had worked in aerial news coverage in Southern California for years, while Marciniw was a longtime pilot and Southern California native. The two had been flying together since 2023, NBC4 reported.
The station confirmed the loss of its helicopter during live coverage Tuesday night after anchors said they had lost contact with the crew. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 later issued a joint statement expressing condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who died. The identity of the person killed on the ground had not been publicly released as of Wednesday morning.
The helicopter had been covering a separate crash about two hours earlier near Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue. Metro said an SUV collided with a Route 166 bus shortly after 5 p.m., leaving the SUV partially embedded in the side of the bus. Three people were killed and six others were hospitalized, according to Metro and NBC4. Authorities had not released the ages or identities of those killed in that collision.
Firefighters responding to the bus crash worked to free people trapped after the impact. Officials had not said Wednesday morning whether those hospitalized were riding in the bus, traveling in the SUV or were otherwise involved in the crash. Investigators also had not announced what caused the SUV and bus to collide.
The two emergencies unfolded within hours of each other in Chatsworth, drawing police officers, firefighters, transit officials and multiple television news crews to the western San Fernando Valley. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the night heartbreaking and expressed condolences to the families affected by both crashes. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also offered condolences and thanked first responders.
The cause of the helicopter crash remained unknown Wednesday. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration would handle the aviation investigation. Federal investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, flight information and other evidence as they work to determine what caused NewsChopper4 to go down.
Authorities were also continuing to investigate the Metro collision. With three deaths in each incident, six people were confirmed killed in the two crashes in Chatsworth on Tuesday. Officials had not announced additional information about the unidentified victims or the conditions of those hospitalized.
Author note: Last updated September 16, 2026.