The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a Tuesday evening crash that killed at least three people, including the pilot and reporter aboard a news helicopter operating over the San Fernando Valley.
The helicopter, a Eurocopter AS 350 B2, went down just before 7 p.m. on September 15 between two commercial buildings at 9151 N. Mason Ave. in Chatsworth. The aircraft was providing aerial news coverage of a separate fatal Metro bus collision for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 when it crashed.
Pilot George Marciniw and reporter Eliana Moreno, both employees of Angel City Air, were killed. A third victim has not been publicly identified. Preliminary reports indicate the third person may not have been aboard the aircraft but was in the area at the time of impact. That has not been confirmed.
Angel City Air also owns and operates KTLA’s Sky5 helicopter. According to NBC Los Angeles, Marciniw and Moreno had been flying together since 2023, and both were Southern California natives.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 issued a statement acknowledging the crash and extending condolences to the families of those killed. The NTSB announced the investigation at 2:49 a.m. Wednesday and said it is continuing to gather information. The agency has not released any details about a probable cause or contributing factors.
A witness near the scene told reporters her husband observed the helicopter swaying before it went down, followed immediately by a cloud of smoke. The NTSB has not commented on witness accounts or any preliminary findings.
