An NBC affiliated news helicopter went down in Chatsworth while its crew was covering a fatal bus collision, killing the photojournalist and pilot aboard along with a pedestrian on the ground. Breitbart headlined it "TV News Helicopter Crashes in Los Angeles While Filming Bus Crash". The Washington Times headlined it "3 people killed when NBC and Telemundo news helicopter crashes while covering LA bus collision".
The victims were identified as photojournalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, who were reporting on the bus crash, along with a man on the ground. "George Marciniw, were killed while reporting on a bus collision– as was Guatemalan national Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29, who was on the ground. Th"1, New York Post reported. New York Post headlined it "NBC reporter Eliana Moreno died in LA news helicopter crash less than a year after getting engaged".
News of the crash reached air quickly. An NBC anchor described how the station realized what had happened after losing contact with its crew. ""We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we'd lost contact with our people out there, and we've just received confirmation," Williams said.", BBC News said. BBC News headlined it "Moment NBC presenters confirm live on air that their helicopter crashed in LA".
A colleague later reflected on the scale of the loss. ""We lost five Angelenos today," she said, "and my heart certainly goes out to the family and friends of all of those that we lost."", NBC News said.
What caused the helicopter to go down remained unclear. One veteran pilot offered speculation about a possible engine failure. New York Post reported: "It’s not known what caused the helicopter to crash, but veteran pilot Zoey Tur speculated there may have been an engine failure."1
Footage from the scene captured an alert sounding inside the helicopter in its final moments, which a local reporter suggested could point to a low rotor warning tied to engine trouble. "Local Los Angeles reporter Jeff Vaughn posted a video from the crash in which an alert can be heard on board the helicopter. He noted the warning could mean a "2low rotor warning" suggesting "potential engine failure."", The Daily Wire noted.
Different outlets framed the toll of the crash in varying terms, with some counting those lost aboard the helicopter and others including the total number killed across both the crash and the bus collision it was covering.
