"News Chopper Crashed": Anchor Speechless… 5 Dead in Chain of Accidents

Amid a traffic accident in Los Angeles, USA, a broadcasting helicopter covering the scene crashed to the ground, resulting in an even greater loss of life.

NBC News and The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 16th that at around 7:00 p.m. on the 15th (local time), an NBC local station helicopter filming a traffic accident scene in Chatsworth, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, California, suddenly crashed, killing three people, including a photojournalist and the pilot.

The accident claimed three lives: Eliana Moreno, a videographer for NBC4 and its sister Spanish-language station Telemundo 52; pilot George Marsciniuk; and Eddy Gutierrez Mejia, a pedestrian walking near the crash site.

The helicopter was an AS 350 B2 model operated by Angel City Air, and the exact cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed.

A witness explained that the helicopter began to wobble and drop lower, and after the crash, "the most intense flames I have ever seen erupted."


NBC anchor Colleen Williams delivered the news immediately after the accident, saying, "We lost contact with our staff members at the scene, and we have just confirmed that the helicopter has crashed," unable to continue speaking as the news broadcast was temporarily suspended.

Lynette Romero, who anchored the "Today Show" on NBC4 that morning, also expressed grief, remembering that "(the videographer and pilot) both truly loved what they did."

The helicopter was covering a bus collision in the San Fernando Valley.

The accident occurred when an SUV crashed into the side of an LA Metro bus, leaving at least two people dead and several others seriously injured.

At the time, with the SUV wedged into the side of the bus, multiple broadcasters were covering from the air as firefighters attempted to rescue passengers trapped inside.

Following the initial traffic accident, the chain of events triggered by the news helicopter crash has left at least five people dead so far.

LA Mayor Karen Bass expressed her condolences, stating, "Today is a very, very tragic day for Los Angeles."

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is scheduled to investigate the accident.

Aerial reporting by local broadcasting stations is common in Southern California, making a helicopter crash an unusual occurrence.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.