A news helicopter carrying two longtime journalists plunged to the ground Tuesday night in Chatsworth. The fiery crash killed three people, including the pilot and the reporter on board. The station confirmed that reporter Eliana “Eli” Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were the two people aboard. The accident happened while the crew was covering a separate deadly bus collision nearby.
Firefighters rushed to the scene as the wreckage burned. Between two commercial buildings on Mason Avenue, the helicopter crashed. Several cars caught fire from the intense heat. The Los Angeles Fire Department stated that at least three people were killed. One victim was likely a pedestrian standing outside the chopper when it fell.
Officials had no idea how many people were inside at first. “We are still searching the helicopter right now to determine how many people were on board,” LAFD spokesman Branden Silverman told reporters, according to the New York Post. The search took time as crews worked through the flames. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the cause.
I’m on scene in Chatsworth receiving updates from LAFD and our public safety officials. I’m grateful to the first responders working through an incredibly difficult situation tonight. My thoughts are with everyone impacted by these tragedies, including the entire NBC4 family. pic.twitter.com/Glulz5XRz8
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) September 16, 2026
Eliana Moreno was a veteran aerial reporter known as “Eli in the Heli.” She started flying in news choppers after graduating from Chapman University in 2010. She covered police pursuits, brush fires, and major local events for years. Moreno joined NBC4 around 2018 or 2019 after working at other stations. She spent years showing Los Angeles from the sky.
George Marciniw was a highly experienced pilot with over 14,000 flight hours. He knew the skies over Los Angeles better than most. The station released a statement late Tuesday expressing deep sadness. Families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased received sincere expressions of grief.
Longtime anchor Colleen Williams broke down on air while covering the story. “We have lost contact with our people,” Williams said through tears, according to the New York Post. The loss hit the newsroom hard as they waited for more details. Just after 7 p.m., the crash occurred near Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue.
A former news pilot offered a grim assessment of what went wrong. Zoey Tur, a legendary figure in LA television news, reviewed the audio from the crash. Tur stated that the recording seemed to show signs of an engine failure. “If you listen, you could hear the low rotor RPM annunciator horn going off,” Tur posted, according to the New York Post. They added that the engine revs went down before the chopper went down.
If you listen, you could hear the low rotor RPM annunciator horn going off. You could also hear the engine rev down. This was an engine failure, and slow response into entering an auto -rotation by PiC. No survivors. #KNBC #HelicopterCrash pic.twitter.com/JbOJ5DGPZR
— Zoey Tur🚁 (@ZoeyTur) September 16, 2026
Tur believes the pilot did not respond fast enough to enter an auto-rotation. PiC slowly initiated auto-rotation following an engine failure, as stated. No survivors, they wrote. Tur and her former wife Marika Gerrard made history covering breaking news from the air. The O.J. Simpson chase marked their first live recording of a high-speed police pursuit.
Federal investigators are now examining the crash site. The Federal Aviation Administration will look at regulatory and licensing issues. Officials have not yet determined the final cause of the crash. The bus collision nearby killed at least two people and injured six others. First responders were already helping victims from that crash when the helicopter fell.
The tragedy struck a neighborhood that was already in crisis. The helicopter crash unfolded as crews dealt with the deadly bus wreck. Flames had been extinguished at the scene by the time reporters arrived. Firefighters remained in the area to ensure safety. The community is left asking how such a skilled crew could go down so fast.
One final tribute came from a friend who knew the reporter well. “May God have mercy on your beautiful soul, Eliana, and may choirs of angels welcome you into the Kingdom of Heaven,” the post read. It added, “May your light shine on forever.” The investigation continues as the city tries to understand the full scope of the loss.
