News helicopter crashes in Los Angeles, killing three

A news helicopter crashed in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles on September 15, 2026, killing three people, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The aircraft went down at 18:57 local time. More than 75 firefighters attended the scene.

At an overnight press conference, Chief Rico A. Gross of the fire department confirmed three deaths in the crash and said two people had been taken to hospital. Local authorities have not confirmed the condition of those two.

The station identified the helicopter as NewsChopper4. It was covering a bus collision for NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 at the time. Two people died in that bus collision, according to the fire department. Captain Brandon Silverman, a public information officer for the police department, told reporters at the scene that one of the deceased was a pedestrian in a parking lot.

The victims on board were identified as Angel City Air staff members Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. According to NBCLA, the helicopter was operated by Angel City Air.

A witness told the station the helicopter came "straight down" and that smoke appeared seconds later. Footage circulating on social media, which has not been verified, includes a female voice on board saying the aircraft could not pull up as it lost altitude. A correspondent noted that an experienced Los Angeles helicopter reporter wrote the recording captured what sounded like an engine failure and a low rotor RPM warning horn. Investigators have not confirmed those accounts.

Multiple helicopters were reported in the area covering the bus collision.