Helicopter Providing NBC4 Coverage Crashes in Chatsworth, Killing Two Aboard and One on Ground

Eliana Moreno, an aerial reporter and photojournalist, and pilot George Marciniw were killed Tuesday evening when a helicopter providing coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 crashed in Los Angeles’ Chatsworth neighborhood, authorities and the stations said. One person on the ground also was killed, turning a routine local newsgathering flight into a major tragedy for the Los Angeles media community.

The crash was reported around 6:57 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, between commercial buildings near a self-storage facility. The aircraft was “NewsChopper4,” operated by Angel City Air, a contractor that provides aerial newsgathering helicopter service for broadcasters including NBC4, also known as KNBC, and Telemundo 52, KVEA.

Fire officials and local reports said the helicopter crashed and burst into flames. Three people were pronounced dead at the scene: the two people aboard the helicopter and one person on the ground. A fourth person was taken to a hospital.

NBC4 and Telemundo 52 identified those killed aboard as Moreno and Marciniw, both reported to be employees of Angel City Air, which operated the helicopter used for the stations’ aerial coverage.

Authorities said the helicopter had been covering an earlier, unrelated crash involving an SUV and an LA Metro bus in Chatsworth when it went down.

The National Transportation Safety Board, the federal agency that investigates transportation accidents, is expected to lead the investigation, while the Federal Aviation Administration is assisting and gathering information. No cause had been established as of Wednesday, and the inquiry was in its early stages.

The stations said in a joint statement: “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.”

The loss reverberated beyond the stations themselves because it killed two people working on a major Los Angeles television news operation while they were covering breaking news, along with a civilian on the ground.

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing many broadcast journalists and media workers, also highlighted the impact on the local news industry. In a social media post, the union said: “A heartbreaking day for the LA news community & our members at NBC4/@telemundo52.com who lost newschopper reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw while covering the news. A person on the ground also died. Our condolences to their families, friends & colleagues.”