NBC4 helicopter crash in Los Angeles kills three, NTSB investigating

The NewsChopper4 went down while covering a traffic accident in Chatsworth; a passerby and two station employees died

A tragic scene unfolded in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening when an NBC4 news helicopter crashed and burst into flames while covering a traffic accident. The crash, which occurred around 7 p.m. local time in the residential neighborhood of Chatsworth, left three people dead and one critically injured.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department said one of the victims was a pedestrian, while the other two were aboard the helicopter: reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. A fourth person was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.

The aircraft — a NewsChopper4 operated by NBC4 Los Angeles — had been filming the aftermath of a deadly collision between a bus and a car on Nordhoff Street, where two people had already been killed and several others injured.

During an emotional live broadcast, longtime NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams confirmed that the downed aircraft belonged to the station.

“We knew it was a news helicopter. We knew we had lost contact with our colleagues, and we’ve just received confirmation,” Williams said.

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the crash, which left the wreckage engulfed in flames shortly after impact.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)