A news helicopter used by NBC and Telemundo crashed in Los Angeles on Tuesday while crews were covering a separate deadly bus collision, killing three people. Eliana Moreno, an aerial reporter aboard the helicopter, was among those killed in the Los Angeles helicopter crash, which occurred in the Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley near a commercial facility.
Helicopter Crashes During News Coverage
The helicopter was identified as NBC4’s NewsChopper4 and was operated by Angel City Air. It crashed shortly before 7 p.m. near Mason Avenue as television crews were covering an earlier collision involving an SUV and a Los Angeles Metro bus. That earlier crash killed at least two people and injured six others.
The helicopter was heavily damaged in the crash, and the resulting fire spread to several vehicles and storage containers near the site. More than 50 firefighters responded, while emergency crews worked to search the wreckage and assist people in the area.
NBC Identifies Two Victims
NBC4 later identified two people killed aboard the helicopter as aerial reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. Both worked for Angel City Air, which operates the aircraft used by NBC4 and Telemundo 52. A third person killed in the crash was on the ground, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Another person was transported to a hospital after the crash. Officials had not immediately released that person’s condition.
NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams confirmed the station’s helicopter had gone down during a live broadcast. The station subsequently paused its coverage as colleagues reacted to the deaths of their coworkers.
Investigation Underway
The cause of the helicopter crash has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Los Angeles officials expressed condolences to the victims and their families. The crash has also drawn attention to the risks faced by news crews and pilots who provide aerial coverage of breaking events.
The investigation is expected to examine the helicopter’s flight, conditions before the crash and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. For now, authorities have not announced a cause.
Source : yahoo.com
