NBC4 News Helicopter Crashes While Covering Deadly Chatsworth Collision, Killing Three

As NBC4’s NewsChopper4 filmed a deadly bus crash in Chatsworth, the helicopter itself went down, killing three people, including two from the news crew.

Story Snapshot

NBC4 and Telemundo 52 confirmed their helicopter crashed while covering a fatal bus collision.
Officials reported three deaths, including one person on the ground.
Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are leading the probe.
Investigators say onboard video is a key piece of evidence to understand what happened.

What Happened in Chatsworth

On the evening of September 15, NBC4’s NewsChopper4 crashed in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles while covering a separate deadly collision between an sport utility vehicle and a bus. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 confirmed the helicopter was theirs and that the crash was fatal. NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams told viewers the aircraft went down just before 7 p.m. local time. Early reports placed the crash site near the active bus crash scene in the northwest Valley.

Officials reported three people died in the helicopter crash, including two members of the news operation and one person on the ground. Outlets identified the two crew members as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, and the person on the ground as Edy Gutierrez Mejia. Those details came in the hours after the crash as agencies confirmed next of kin and coordinated the scene response with city services and hospitals.

Who Is Investigating and What They Know

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration took charge of the investigation the next day. Investigators identified the helicopter as a Eurocopter AS350-series aircraft, a common model for news and utility flights. An NTSB spokesperson said onboard video recorded before impact would be central to reconstructing the flight path and cockpit cues. That video is being treated as a primary evidentiary source by the investigative team.

Investigators typically release a preliminary report about a month after an accident. That early report lists on-scene facts only and does not assign cause. The full process often runs many months and can include lab work, maintenance record reviews, pilot history, and human factors. Agencies caution the public not to infer cause from initial fragments, even when video or audio seems suggestive on first view.

Why This Matters to Viewers

Local news helicopters help the public see emergencies, wildfires, storms, and traffic that affect daily life. The crews who fly these missions often work close to hazards and at low altitudes over crowded areas. When a crash happens during coverage of another tragedy, communities feel a double hit. The loss also raises hard questions about risk rules, equipment upkeep, and training for missions that serve the public but push crews and machines in complex airspace.

🚨BREAKING DEADLY HELICOPTER CRASH: KNBC and KVEA aerial reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw died when the NBC NewsChopper4 helicopter crashed while working on coverage of a metro bus crash in Chatsworth. A pedestrian was also killed in this crash. So terribly sad &… pic.twitter.com/6yHKiXcXf7

— Phoenix Rising Justice (@phoenixrjustice) September 16, 2026

Federal investigators will now test parts, map the debris field, and match the video timeline to radar and radio traffic. They will seek maintenance logs, pilot currency records, and any weather data tied to the flight. They will also gather witness statements from first responders at the bus crash scene. The cause remains unknown at this stage, and officials have not issued a probable-cause finding. The NTSB will share updates as verified facts are confirmed.