3 people have died after media helicopter belonging to NBC Los Angeles, which was covering a deadly collision involving an SUV and a Metro bus, crashed Tuesday in the San Fernando Valley.
The crash happened between two buildings near the intersection of Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue. The aircraft appeared to have landed on top of two shipping containers and several vehicles parked in the area, according to the LAFD.
The helicopter was operated by Angel City Air and provided news coverage for NBC4 and its Spanish-language sister station, Telemundo 52.
Four patients were assessed following the crash. Three were pronounced dead at the scene, while one was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition. The two people killed inside the helicopter were identified as Reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, NBC4 announced. Both were employees of Angel City Air.
The third victim, a pedestrian on the ground, has been identified as 29-year-old Edy Guttierez Mejia, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said.
The LAFD said 56 firefighters responded to the crash and the fire was completely extinguished. No structures were exposed to the fire, while four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged. The NTSB and FAA will handle the investigation.
The helicopter’s camera was streaming live video when the aircraft went down. The footage shows the camera zooming out as the helicopter begins to fall. Moreno can be heard asking, “You can’t pull up?” before the video cuts out.
The helicopter crash comes after a deadly collision between a Ford Expedition and a Metro bus just after 5 p.m. Tuesday on Nordhoff Street at the intersection with De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth, just a short distance from the helicopter crash site.
The SUV was lodged inside the bus, and the collision left two people dead and several others injured, according to LAFD.