At least three people were killed when a news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, Tuesday evening near the site of an earlier bus-SUV collision that had already killed two. NBC Los Angeles confirmed the aircraft was its NewsChopper; KNBC named reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw among the dead. One of the helicopter victims was a pedestrian on the ground and another person was hospitalized. The NTSB and FAA will investigate the helicopter crash.
At Least Three Killed as NBC NewsChopper Crashes in Chatsworth Near Earlier Fatal Bus Collision
3 dead after news helicopter crashes in LA near site of earlier fatal bus collision
At least three people were killed Tuesday evening when a news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, authorities said. The crash occurred near the scene of an earlier, separate collision that had already claimed two lives, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to call it "a heartbreaking night for our city."
KABC - PHOTO: A helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings in the Los Angeles area.
NBC Los Angeles confirmed the downed aircraft was its NewsChopper. KNBC anchor Colleen Williams identified two of the deceased on air as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said one of the people killed in the helicopter crash was a pedestrian on the ground; another person was taken to a hospital for treatment.
KABC-TV via AP - PHOTO: Helicopter Crash Los Angeles
What Happened
The earlier traffic collision occurred at about 5:00 p.m. and involved a Metro bus and an SUV roughly a block and a half from where the helicopter later went down. That crash left two people dead and several others injured, officials said. Multiple news helicopters and reporters had been covering the bus collision when, shortly before 7:00 p.m., a helicopter descended between two commercial buildings and erupted in flames.
Ethan Swope/AP Photo - PHOTO: Helicopter Crash Los Angeles
Photographs and video from the scene showed the aircraft resting amid heavy fire and smoke between the buildings. Fire crews reported that flames damaged four vehicles and two storage containers before the blaze was extinguished.
Response and Investigation
Firefighters and emergency personnel worked at both crash sites. Authorities said the cause of the helicopter crash has not yet been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will lead the formal investigation into the aircraft accident, officials added.
Local outlets continued to report from the area as investigators and emergency crews processed both scenes. ABC News reporters Jennifer Watts and Vanessa Navarrete contributed to earlier coverage.
Help us improve.
