Two of the victims of a deadly news helicopter crash in Los Angeles on Sept. 15 have been identified as a journalist and a pilot affiliated with NBC 4.
The helicopter, NewsChopper4 operated by Angel City Air, crashed just before 7 p.m. in Chatsworth, a suburban neighborhood of Los Angeles County. The chopper went down between two commercial buildings, killing three people, authorities said.
Journalist Eliana Moreno, who reported from the air for NBC 4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52, and pilot George Marciniw, who had been flying together since 2023, were killed, according to NBC 4.
The third victim, whose identity has not been released, was described as a pedestrian on the ground.
Here's what we know about the crash:
What happened in the LA helicopter crash?
The Los Angeles Fire Department
said the helicopter crashed shortly before 7 p.m. local time on Sept. 15, before bursting into flames. Vehicles on the ground also caught fire. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the helicopter was a Eurocopter AS350.
In addition to the three people killed, two others were transported to a hospital. Their conditions were not known. USA TODAY has reached out to the fire department for more information.
Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged, but no buildings were impacted, authorities said.
The helicopter was at the scene covering news of a fatal bus crash that happened earlier in the day. At least two were killed in that incident, which involved a Los Angeles Metro bus and another vehicle, officials have said.
"I'm absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. "My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash."
Crash confirmed in emotional news broadcast
News that the NBC 4 chopper went down was announced in an emotional broadcast by station anchor Colleen Williams the evening of Sept. 15.
"We've been telling you that we've been piecing it together here. We knew it was a news chopper, we knew we'd lost contact with our people out there, and we just received the confirmation that, in fact, NewsChopper4 went down just before 7 o'clock tonight in Chatsworth," Williams said.
"We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process, and to regroup," she said before signing off the broadcast.
NBC 4 and Telemundo 52 issued a joint statement:
"We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives," the stations said.
Who were the victims?
Moreno was in her late 30s and born in Orange County, according to NBC. She was a graduate of Chapman University in Southern California. She worked for Angel City Air since 2010 as a journalist and has reported for multiple news outlets from the air.
She was a "familiar" voice for NBC 4 and Telemundo 52 viewers, NBC said.
Marciniw is also from Southern California and graduated from Burbank High School in 1974, NBC 4 said.
The pair had been flying together since 2023.
The pedestrian killed in the crash has not been identified by authorities as of Sept. 16.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victims identified in deadly TV news helicopter crash in LA County
