Overview
- The Angel City Air–operated NewsChopper4 crashed in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue in Chatsworth Tuesday night while covering an earlier SUV‑into‑Metro bus collision, and three people were killed at the scene.
- NBC4 identified two of the dead as aerial journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later named the third victim as 29‑year‑old Edy Gutierrez Mejia.
- The helicopter burst into flames and damaged at least four vehicles and two storage containers before firefighters extinguished the blaze, and several other people were evaluated or taken to hospital.
- The NTSB and FAA have opened a formal investigation and are reviewing video and audio from the chopper that experts say records the engine winding down and a possible low‑rotor‑RPM warning, but officials have not determined a cause.
- The crash highlights risks tied to low‑altitude news flying and two‑person crews in crowded urban scenes and may lead investigators to examine maintenance logs, cockpit recordings, training and operational procedures as the probe continues.