WATCH | Terrifying dashcam footage shows final moments before NBC4 helicopter crashes in Los Angeles, killing three
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NBC4 reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw died after a news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles while covering a traffic collision
Newly released dashcam footage shows the final moments before a news helicopter plunged toward the ground while covering a traffic collision in Los Angeles, killing three people. NBC4 reporter Eliana Eli Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were identified as the two people aboard NewsChopper4 when the aircraft crashed between two commercial buildings in Chatsworth shortly before 7pm on Tuesday. A pedestrian on the ground was also killed in the crash.
The helicopter, operated by NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52, had been covering an earlier collision involving an SUV and a Metro bus at the intersection of Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue. Two people died and six others were injured in that collision after the SUV slammed into the side of the bus. Several blocks away, the news helicopter crashed at 9151 North Mason Avenue, sparking a fire that engulfed four parked vehicles and two storage containers. Fifty-six firefighters responded to the scene and brought the blaze under control. No nearby buildings were damaged.
Watch the terrifying video here
Longtime news anchor Colleen Williams confirmed during a live broadcast that the helicopter belonged to the NBC4 Los Angeles station. Williams had earlier said that her team had ‘not been able to reach out to our people on Chopper 4’. “We have lost contact with our people,” she said.
The final footage recorded from the helicopter has since emerged, capturing the aircraft's last moments. The video shows the camera initially panning away from the traffic collision before the helicopter is suddenly rocked by violent shaking. A female voice can be heard saying: “You can’t pull up?”
Moreno had worked in aerial journalism since graduating from Chapman University in 2010 with degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. She previously worked for KCAL 9 and KCBS 2 before joining NBC. She later became a familiar presence in the skies above Los Angeles, covering police pursuits, wildfires, traffic incidents and other major breaking-news events.
Marciniw was an experienced Southern California helicopter pilot who had flown with Moreno since 2023. The cause of the helicopter crash remains unknown. The US National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are expected to investigate the incident.
