An NBC Los Angeles news helicopter crashed in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, killing three people and injuring a fourth, the network confirmed during a live broadcast.
NBC Los Angeles identified the aircraft as its NewsChopper 4, confirming earlier reports that the helicopter belonged to the station.
KNBC news helicopter crashes in Los Angeles, killing three during live coverage
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“We've been telling you that we've been piecing it together here. We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we'd lost contact with our people out there, and we've just received the confirmation that, in fact, NewsChopper 4 went down just before 7 o'clock tonight in Chatsworth,” anchor Colleen Williams said on air.
Three people were pronounced dead at the scene and a fourth was taken to a local hospital, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. NBC did not immediately say how many people were aboard the helicopter.
Coverage of the KNBC helicopter crash in Los Angeles
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The aircraft crashed while covering a deadly collision involving a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger vehicle earlier Tuesday. Several television news helicopters had been flying over the area to report on the collision when NewsChopper 4 went down.
Video from the helicopter’s final moments shows an alarm sounding as the engine noise changes and the image begins spinning rapidly before the broadcast cuts out. Authorities have not determined the cause of the crash and have not confirmed whether the aircraft suffered a mechanical failure.
The crash was reported shortly before 7 p.m. local time in Chatsworth. The helicopter came down near commercial buildings and caught fire on impact, with flames spreading to several vehicles and storage containers.
Reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, who were killed in the helicopter crash
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More than 50 firefighters responded to the scene. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Branden Silverman said the helicopter was almost completely destroyed and that investigators would have to search the wreckage to determine how many people had been aboard. At least one person killed was found on the ground in the area where the helicopter crashed.
NBC Los Angeles had previously lost contact with its crew before receiving confirmation that NewsChopper 4 had gone down. The network had not immediately released official details on the number or identities of those aboard.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash.
The collision the helicopter was covering occurred about two hours earlier and involved a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger vehicle. At least two people were killed in that crash and several others were injured.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was “devastated” by the loss of life in both incidents and thanked emergency responders for their swift response.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also expressed condolences to those affected, including what he described as the “entire NBC4 family.”