A devastating aviation disaster in the San Fernando Valley claimed three lives on Tuesday evening when a news helicopter providing aerial coverage of a fatal traffic collision crashed between commercial buildings in Chatsworth. The aircraft, which was operating on behalf of local television stations NBC4 and Telemundo 52, plummeted to the ground just hours after an earlier transit bus collision had already resulted in multiple casualties within the neighborhood.
According to officials with the Los Angeles Fire Department, emergency personnel were alerted to the aircraft incident shortly before 7:00 p.m. The helicopter came down in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, wedging into a narrow corridor between two commercial structures. Upon impact, the wreckage ignited an intense fire that quickly spread to adjacent property, damaging four nearby vehicles and two storage containers before responding crews could suppress the flames.
Firefighters arriving at the scene confronted heavy smoke and severe destruction. LAFD Captain Branden Silverman, serving as a department spokesperson, reported that the aircraft was thoroughly destroyed upon impact. Silverman informed reporters at the scene that emergency crews faced a challenging search effort among the smoldering debris to locate victims, account for all individuals involved, and properly identify the aircraft components.
Shortly before 9:00 p.m., NBC4 confirmed that the downed aircraft was the station’s designated newsgathering helicopter, NewsChopper4. The aircraft was operated by Angel City Air, an aviation contractor that regularly provides aerial broadcasting services and breaking news video coverage across Southern California for both NBC4 and its Spanish-language sister station, Telemundo 52.
The broadcast network confirmed that veteran aerial journalist Eliana Moreno was on board the helicopter when the fatal crash took place. Moreno, widely recognized by viewers throughout the greater Los Angeles area for her dedicated airborne reporting during regional news coverage, was among the personnel conducting newsgathering operations in the area.
The total occupancy of the aircraft was not immediately certain during the early stages of the emergency response. Capt. Silverman noted during a news conference that search teams discovered one of the casualties outside the helicopter wreckage following the crash. Paramedics treated and transported one individual from the scene to an area hospital, while investigators worked to confirm the full number of occupants who had been inside the cabin.
Federal safety regulators responded rapidly to the incident, with the National Transportation Safety Board confirming that an air safety investigator would arrive at the Chatsworth location on Wednesday morning. The federal investigation aims to examine the wreckage, document ground scars, assess mechanical performance, and determine the underlying factors that led to the crash.
The aviation accident occurred in close proximity to an earlier major transportation emergency that had drawn news media to the Chatsworth area. Approximately two hours prior, shortly past 5:00 p.m., first responders had been dispatched to the intersection of West Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue after a passenger vehicle slammed into the side of a municipal Metro bus.
That initial collision caused severe structural damage, trapping several occupants inside the vehicles and requiring emergency extrication by firefighters. Six people sustained injuries requiring hospitalization, and emergency authorities initially confirmed that at least two individuals died at the scene. Metro officials later relayed an updated fatality count of three dead to CBS Los Angeles.
Because the bus collision represented a major breaking news development during the peak of the evening commute, several television news helicopters had converged over the Chatsworth airspace to document the emergency response. NewsChopper4 was actively operating in the vicinity to capture aerial footage when it suddenly lost altitude and crashed.
Following confirmation of the tragedy, NBC4 and Telemundo 52 issued a joint statement conveying profound sorrow regarding the loss of their colleagues. The stations expressed their deepest condolences to the families, friends, and newsroom coworkers of those who lost their lives in the service of local journalism.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined public safety leaders at the scene on Tuesday night, stating that she was absolutely devastated by the compounded loss of life across the two incidents. Characterizing the evening as an exceptionally tragic moment for the city, Bass noted the loss of five Angelenos and emphasized that the city’s thoughts and prayers remain focused on supporting the grieving families.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also issued an official message of condolence, offering his sympathy to the families affected by both the Metro bus collision and the aviation disaster, as well as the broader NBC4 broadcast family. The governor additionally commended the dedicated efforts of the first responders who managed both complex disaster sites throughout the evening.
As federal and local investigators begin the detailed process of analyzing the wreckage and establishing the cause of the helicopter crash, the local broadcast community and the surrounding Chatsworth neighborhood continue to process the impact of two catastrophic events occurring in such close succession.
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