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5h ago

NBC4 NewsChopper4 Crashes in Los Angeles, Killing Three

Investigators are examining flight recordings, wreckage, final audio, final video to determine whether a rotor‑speed or engine problem led to the rapid descent.

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An aerial view of the aftermath of a news helicopter that crashed in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
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An aerial view shows the burning wreckage of an NBC News helicopter that crashed while covering a report of a deadly Metro bus collision, resulting in multiple casualties, in Chatsworth, Los Angeles

Overview

  • A Eurocopter AS350 operated by Angel City Air for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 crashed in Chatsworth on Tuesday while covering an earlier SUV‑into‑bus collision, killing three people and injuring others.
  • NBC4 identified aerial reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw as two of the victims and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner named the third fatality as 29‑year‑old Edy Gutierrez Mejia.
  • Audio and video from the helicopter’s final transmission capture alarm tones and a rapid loss of altitude that several aviation experts say are consistent with a low‑rotor RPM warning or engine power loss but do not prove a cause.
  • The NTSB and FAA have opened a joint investigation and will analyze flight recordings, cockpit and transmission media, maintenance records and wreckage to establish sequence and cause.
  • The crash ignited a ground fire that damaged vehicles and storage containers, drew a large firefighting response, and has raised urgent questions about the safety and risks of low‑altitude urban aerial newsgathering.