Three killed after news helicopter crashes while covering fatal bus collision

An NBC Los Angeles-affiliated news helicopter crashed in a car park in Chatsworth on Tuesday evening while covering a fatal road accident, killing all three people involved in the immediate crash toll.

The two people aboard the Eurocopter AS350 B2 registered N358TV—Angel City Air pilot George Marciniw and aerial photojournalist Eliana Moreno—were killed, along with a person on the ground. Two other people were taken to hospital, but their conditions were not immediately known. The helicopter burst into flames on impact, setting several parked vehicles alight.

The aircraft, operated by aerial production company Angel City Air, had been providing coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 of a collision between a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger car. That earlier accident had killed two people and injured several others.

Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter gradually lose altitude before crashing shortly before 19:00 local time. Firefighters and police officers already attending the bus accident quickly responded to the helicopter crash.

Moreno had worked in aerial journalism since 2010 and regularly contributed to several Southern California news outlets. NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of both crew members.

The US National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the accident. With two fatalities in the bus collision and three in the helicopter crash, five people died in the two related incidents.