Additional Coverage:
- Chilling audio from fiery NBC News helicopter crash revealed as pilot begged to ‘pull up’ (themirror.com)
A harrowing video capturing the moments before an NBC News helicopter crash has recently emerged on social media, shedding light on a tragic incident that claimed three lives in Los Angeles.
The victims include reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, both of whom perished when the helicopter plunged into a residential neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley and burst into flames. The third fatality, who was on the ground at the time of the crash, has not yet been identified.
This devastating event occurred just days after another fatal aviation accident at Miami International Airport, where an Amazon Air cargo plane ran off the runway, resulting in five deaths. NBC4 Los Angeles anchor Colleen Williams confirmed during live coverage that the helicopter went down shortly before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15.
Emotional and shaken, Williams took a moment on air to process the tragedy before the broadcast was cut abruptly.
Audio and video recordings from the helicopter’s final moments have since surfaced online, revealing a woman onboard-believed to be Moreno-urging the pilot to “pull up” as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude. The footage initially shows aerial coverage of a collision in Chatsworth between an SUV and a city bus, the very incident Moreno had been reporting on.
As the camera pans out, the helicopter is seen descending quickly, accompanied by Moreno’s voice questioning the pilot’s ability to regain control. The video then captures the violent impact and subsequent shaking of the camera as the helicopter crashes near a major storage facility in Chatsworth.
The initial accident involved a collision between an SUV and a city bus, resulting in at least two fatalities and six injuries, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The helicopter crash compounded the tragedy, with at least four vehicles and two storage units catching fire before firefighters rapidly extinguished the flames.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives, stating, “Losing five Angelenos is very painful. And I know this community of Chatsworth hit hard will be grieving for some time.”
Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Branden Silverman described the helicopter as “pretty well destroyed,” noting that recovery efforts would involve sifting through debris to identify all victims and the aircraft’s tail number.
Two individuals were transported to medical facilities following the crash, though their conditions have not been disclosed.
NBC4 reporter Robert Kovacik, covering the original bus accident nearby, witnessed the helicopter crash and reported that one hospital patient appeared to be in shock from witnessing the event.
In total, more than 70 firefighters responded to the scene, with police securing the area around the storage facility to manage the emergency response.
This tragic sequence of events marks a somber moment for the Los Angeles community, as authorities continue to investigate the causes of the helicopter crash and mourn those lost in both incidents.