A news reporter, a pilot and a person on the ground were killed Tuesday night when a television helicopter crashed in Los Angeles near the scene of another deadly accident.
The helicopter went down shortly before 7 p.m. in Chatsworth, a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, crashing between two commercial buildings and erupting in flames.
NBC Los Angeles later confirmed that reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were killed.
The station said Moreno and Marciniw had spent hundreds of hours flying together while covering major stories across Southern California, including the devastating January 2025 wildfires.
A third person, described by officials as a pedestrian on the ground, was also killed in the helicopter crash, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
A fourth person was taken to a hospital. Officials did not immediately release additional details about that victim’s condition.
The helicopter had been in the area because multiple news crews were covering a separate crash involving a Metro bus and an SUV.
That collision happened around 5 p.m., roughly two hours before the helicopter went down.
Authorities said two people were killed in the bus crash and several others were injured.
The two deadly incidents unfolded just a short distance apart, leaving first responders dealing with multiple fatalities in the same area.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called it a “heartbreaking night for our city.”
“I’m absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight,” Bass said. “My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also released a statement offering condolences.
“Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family,” Newsom said.
He also thanked the emergency crews who responded to both scenes.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said he was extending his “deepest condolences” to the families and friends of everyone who died.
“My heart is also with the colleagues of the NBC4 team and everyone impacted by these heartbreaking events,” Luna said.
The cause of the helicopter crash was not immediately known.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
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