Three killed after NBC News helicopter crashes in Los Angeles
5 min read
Three people have died after an NBC News helicopter crashed while covering another fatal accident in Los Angeles. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now investigating.
Three people have died after a helicopter crashed in suburban Los Angeles, fire authorities in the city have said. Read more: https://t.co/xSDJquM9rK pic.twitter.com/upVkWmIbVT
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 16, 2026
The helicopter crashed shortly before 7 pm local time on Tuesday, 15 September, in the Chatsworth neighbourhood of the San Fernando Valley. According to NBC Los Angeles, it came down between two commercial buildings in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue.
NBC4 Los Angeles news helicopter N358TV (AS350 B2) crashed in Northridge at 6:55 PM PT. After ~65 min on station it slowed to a hover at 1,800 ft, then descended at up to 4,480 ft/min in 17 seconds. Last ADS-B fix: 925 ft, 46 kt. pic.twitter.com/DTX5Niay6I
— Squawk (@UseSquawk) September 16, 2026
NBC identified the two people aboard the helicopter who perished in the crash as aerial photojournalist and reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw.
🚨DEVASTATING: “You can’t pull up?” Those are the final words heard as a KNBC helicopter crashes during a live report in Los Angeles while covering a deadly bus crash. You can actually hear what appears to be a rotor issue as the helicopter goes down. Reporter Eliana Moreno and… pic.twitter.com/VrfqadccrA
— Daniel Cohen (@DanielCohenTV) September 16, 2026
Angel City Air operated the helicopter for NBC4 and Telemundo 52. A third person was killed on the ground.
A helicopter with @NBCLA has crashed. This was their feed as it happened. pic.twitter.com/9rHiqA1ZEI
— Traffic Cam Watch (@PCALive) September 16, 2026
NBC Los Angeles confirmed that the aircraft was its NewsChopper4 helicopter. Several television news helicopters had been operating in the area to cover an earlier fatal collision involving a Los Angeles Metro bus.
NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams confirmed the station’s helicopter was lost during a live broadcast.
“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,” Williams said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department sent dozens of firefighters to the scene. The helicopter crashed into an industrial storage area, where the resulting fire damaged vehicles and containers.
On September 15, 2026, around 6:58 p.m., LAPD officers responded to the area of Lurline Avenue and Nordhoff Street in Chatsworth regarding a reported helicopter crash.
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) September 16, 2026
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a news conference expressing gratitude to first responders and sympathy for those affected by the tragic accident. She confirmed the NTSB would investigate.
This is a tragic night for Los Angeles. My thoughts are with those impacted by the bus collision and the helicopter crash, and with the entire NBC4 family who lost members of their team while they were doing their jobs.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) September 16, 2026
I’m deeply grateful to our firefighters, paramedics, and… pic.twitter.com/3vCDwoQilg
What to know about the Eurocopter AS350 B2 that crashed in Los Angeles
The aircraft has been identified as a Eurocopter AS350 B2, a single-engine light helicopter from a family that has become one of the world’s most widely used civilian helicopter designs. Reports have identified the aircraft as registration N358TV, a 2004-built AS350 B2 operating as NewsChopper4.
The AS350 is better known as the AStar in North America and as the Écureuil, or Squirrel, elsewhere.
The helicopter family dates back more than 50 years. According to Airbus’ history of the Écureuil family, the original AS350 B made its first flight on 27 June 1974.
The design proved unusually adaptable. Airbus says it has delivered around 7,000 helicopters across all Écureuil variants to more than 2,500 customers, accumulating around 40 million flight hours.
Airbus introduced the AS350 B2 variant on 26 April 1989, with an increased maximum takeoff weight of 2,250kg and a new Arriel 1D1 engine.
The manufacturer continues to support the AS350 B2 as a legacy aircraft. Its current Airbus Helicopters customer support directory lists the B2 as powered by a Safran Helicopter Engines Arriel 1D1 turboshaft producing 732 shp.
The helicopter can accommodate one pilot and five or six passengers, depending on configuration. Airbus lists a fast cruise speed of 133 knots, a maximum range of 360 nautical miles and maximum endurance of 4.4 hours with standard fuel tanks.
Airbus introduced progressively more powerful versions, including the AS350 B3 and B3e. The latter became today’s Airbus H125.
Why the AS350 became popular with TV news operators
The AS350 family has been widely adopted for missions including law enforcement, emergency services, aerial photography, tourism and television broadcasting.
Its relatively compact airframe, good visibility and ability to operate with useful payloads in demanding conditions have made it particularly suited to aerial observation work.
News helicopters typically carry substantial additional equipment, including externally mounted cameras, transmission systems and communications equipment.
NewsChopper4’s use of the AS350 B2 also has a long history. In a 2015 profile of the NBC4 helicopter operation, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association described NewsChopper4 crews flying at around 1,000ft above ground level while covering breaking news and traffic across the Los Angeles area.
Investigators will determine why the helicopter crashed
The cause of Tuesday’s accident remains unknown. Images from the scene show extensive fire damage to the aircraft.
Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Branden Silverman told NBC Los Angeles shortly after the accident that the aircraft had been heavily damaged.
“So we are going to have to go through the rubble and see how many victims there were on board, as well as identify the helicopter; we couldn’t even see a tail,” Silverman said.
The NTSB will lead the investigation. Until investigators have examined the wreckage, flight data, maintenance history, communications and other evidence, there is no basis to determine whether mechanical failure, pilot actions or another factor caused the crash.
The NTSB’s preliminary report should provide the first authoritative account of the aircraft’s flight and the circumstances immediately before impact.
