A news helicopter operated by Angel City Air and used by NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 crashed and caught fire in Chatsworth on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The crash occurred just before 7 p.m. while the crew was providing aerial coverage of a nearby collision between an SUV and a Los Angeles city bus. Officials confirmed that at least three people died in the helicopter incident, while the prior bus accident resulted in two deaths and six injuries.
The helicopter went down near a storage facility in the San Fernando Valley. NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams identified two of the deceased as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, both of whom were employees of Angel City Air. At least one person killed was in a parking lot next to a commercial building at the time of the impact.
Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Branden Silverman stated the aircraft was "pretty well destroyed," noting that the debris was too damaged to immediately identify a tail number. In addition to the fatalities, two individuals were transported to a hospital, though their conditions were not released. The crash and subsequent fire also damaged four vehicles and two storage containers on the ground before more than 70 firefighters extinguished the flames.
The scale of the event involves five total fatalities in the Chatsworth area on Tuesday: three from the helicopter crash and two from the earlier bus collision. The helicopter crash resulted in the destruction of one aircraft and damage to four cars and two storage units. According to federal records and news accounts, there have been at least eight fatal news helicopter crashes in the U.S. resulting in 16 deaths since 2000.
Personnel from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are scheduled to arrive at the site on Wednesday, September 16, to begin an investigation. --- WHO: Reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, an unidentified third victim, and first responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department. WHAT: A news helicopter crash killed at least three people, including a reporter and a pilot, while covering a separate fatal bus accident. WHEN: Tuesday, September 15, 2026, just before 7 p.m. WHERE: Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. WHY: A news helicopter crashed during coverage of a fatal traffic accident, resulting in the deaths of the flight crew and a person on the ground.