A news helicopter belonging to a local NBC station crashed in a Los Angeles neighborhood, igniting a fire and resulting in the deaths of three individuals while journalists were covering a nearby incident involving an SUV and a city bus, as per officials and the station. Colleen Williams, an anchor for NBC4 Los Angeles, verified live on air that the station’s helicopter went down just before 7 p.m., leading to the deaths of two individuals on board.
Fire officials, along with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other political figures, addressed the public during a press conference on Tuesday evening but did not disclose the identities of those who perished in the crash. Following the press conference, the mayor and officials consoled a weeping NBC reporter who was also comforted by fellow journalists.
Mayor Bass expressed sorrow over the loss of five individuals, emphasizing the impact on the Chatsworth community. The helicopter crash occurred close to a large storage facility in Chatsworth, in the San Fernando Valley, while news crews were reporting on a bus accident that sadly claimed two lives and left six others injured, as confirmed by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
According to Captain Branden Silverman of the Los Angeles Fire Department, at least one person who perished in the helicopter crash was located outside in a parking lot adjacent to a commercial building. Two individuals were transported to a hospital, with their conditions not immediately disclosed by Rico A. Gross, a fire department battalion chief.
The helicopter sustained significant damage, making it challenging to identify the number of victims on board, as stated by Captain Silverman. Following the crash, four cars and two storage containers on the ground caught fire but were swiftly extinguished by officials. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration announced that they would investigate the cause of the helicopter crash and send an investigator on Wednesday.
NBC confirmed that the downed helicopter was NewsChopper4, operated by Angel City Air and utilized by NBCLA and Telemundo 52. Several TV news helicopters were covering the bus crash before the incident occurred, approximately 2.4 kilometers away from the bus collision site. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles expressed deep sadness over the helicopter crash and extended condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the victims.
Governor Gavin Newsom commended the emergency responders attending to both incidents and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. Records indicate that there have been at least eight fatal accidents involving news helicopters in the U.S. since 2000, resulting in the deaths of 16 individuals.