In Los Angeles, USA, a traffic accident was followed by the crash of a broadcasting helicopter covering the scene, compounding the tragedy into a larger loss of life.

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

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

The helicopter, an AS 350 B2 operated by Angel City Air, suffered an unknown cause of the crash.

A witness described seeing the helicopter wobble and begin to drop lower, stating that after the crash, "the flames were the fiercest I have ever seen."


NBC anchor Colleen Williams broke down and paused the news broadcast as she delivered the news right after the accident, saying, "We lost contact with our staff at the scene and have just confirmed that the helicopter has crashed."

Lynette Romero, who hosted the "Today Show" on NBC4 that morning, also remembered them, saying, "It breaks my heart," and adding that "(the videographer and the pilot) both truly loved what they did."

The helicopter in question was covering a bus collision that occurred 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 broadcasting stations were covering from the air as firefighters attempted to rescue passengers trapped between them.

With the subsequent crash of the news helicopter following the traffic accident, at least five people have died 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.

In the Southern California region, local broadcasting stations frequently conduct aerial reporting, making a helicopter crash an unusual occurrence.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)