Updated

Updated · NBC Los Angeles · Sep 16

NTSB Probes 3-Dead Los Angeles News Helicopter Crash as 2 Others Remain Hospitalized

Updated

Updated · NBC Los Angeles · Sep 16

NTSB Probes 3-Dead Los Angeles News Helicopter Crash as 2 Others Remain Hospitalized

Q: With a 30-year veteran pilot at the controls, what catastrophic failure caused this news helicopter to plummet into a commercial district?

The catastrophic failure has not been determined. Despite pilot George Marciniw’s more than 30 years of experience, investigators have not identified a mechanical, structural, or operational cause for the Chatsworth crash. What is established is limited but important. The helicopter was a Eurocopter AS350 B2, operated by Angel City Air as NewsChopper4 for NBCLA and Telemundo 52. Witnesses said it appeared to wobble, sway, and then lose altitude before impact. Reporting based on the helicopter’s final live video feed says warning tones could be heard as the camera view sank, then cut out. Those details suggest some kind of emergency developed in flight, but they do not show what failed. At this stage, possibilities could include engine or power-loss issues, rotor or tail-rotor problems, flight-control malfunction, or another sudden systems failure. But there is no official evidence yet tying the crash to any one scenario, and witness observations alone are not enough to establish cause. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with the FAA assisting. Investigators will examine the wreckage, maintenance history, pilot and operator records, airworthiness information, and any onboard video or warning data. Until the NTSB releases preliminary findings, any claim about the precise catastrophic failure would be speculation. So the short answer is: no confirmed failure is known yet; the cause remains under active federal investigation.

3 articles · Updated · NBC Los Angeles · Sep 16

Three people were killed and two were hospitalized after NewsChopper4 crashed Tuesday evening in Chatsworth while covering a deadly Metro bus collision, with NTSB investigators due on scene Wednesday morning.
The Eurocopter AS350 B2 went down between two commercial buildings near North Mason Avenue, erupted into a fire and damaged four cars and two storage containers, according to Los Angeles fire officials.
Angel City Air employees Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were identified among the dead, and authorities said a person on the ground was also killed.
Witnesses said the helicopter appeared to sway before impact, but the cause remains unclear as the NTSB and FAA open the investigation.
Mayor Karen Bass called it a "very, very, very tragic day" in Los Angeles, linking the helicopter crash to the earlier bus wreck that had already drawn multiple TV aircraft to the area.