The news helicopter that crashed in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, killing 3 people and injuring another, rapidly descended in the final moments before the crash, according to a preliminary NTSB report.
The helicopter was flying over the area on September 15 while covering a deadly traffic crash involving an SUV and a Metro bus. The NTSB said the aircraft was destroyed after coming down near Chatsworth, killing the pilot, a passenger/news reporter and a person on the ground. Another person on the ground suffered minor injuries.
The aircraft was an Airbus Helicopters AS 350 B2, operated by Angel City Air, and was conducting an aerial news-gathering flight after departing Whiteman Airport in Van Nuys. It flew toward Chatsworth to obtain video of the traffic crash and remained in the area for about 1 hour and 24 minutes.
According to the preliminary report, the helicopter was operating at about 1,600 feet above sea level as it moved through the area. During the final minute of the flight, the aircraft began a rapid descent while turning right.
The helicopter was descending rapidly at about 38 knots in the moments before the crash, with the final tracking data showing it directly above the crash site. Security cameras from nearby buildings also captured the rapid descent before the helicopter struck a metal storage container.
The helicopter caught fire after the impact, but investigators reported no explosion. The aircraft’s main components remained attached to the fuselage or within the debris area, while the fuselage was largely reduced to ash and thermally damaged metal. The wreckage was later moved to a secure facility for further examination.
Journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were among those killed in the crash. NBC Los Angeles said the helicopter, NewsChopper4, was also operated for Telemundo 52 and had been covering the earlier bus crash in Chatsworth.
The earlier traffic collision killed 2 people and injured several others. The helicopter went down in an industrial area a short distance from that crash scene while multiple news aircraft were in the area.
The NTSB report also found clear weather at the time of the crash, with visibility of about 10 miles and no reported ceiling.
The preliminary report does not determine what caused the helicopter to crash. The NTSB investigation is ongoing, and the findings may change as investigators examine the wreckage, records and other evidence.