Discretion advised: This story involves details of two separate fatal incidents.
A local NBC news helicopter crashed and burst into flames in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley on Tuesday, September 15, killing at least three people while it was covering a nearby fatal bus crash.
How the Crash Happened
NBC confirmed the helicopter was NewsChopper4, operated by Angel City Air and used by NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52. The chopper went down near a large storage facility, roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the site of a bus crash it had been covering, involving an SUV and a city bus that left at least two people dead and six others injured. Several TV news helicopters had been reporting on the bus crash before NewsChopper4 went down.
The Scene on the Ground
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Branden Silverman said at least one person killed in the helicopter crash was outside in a parking lot next to the commercial building the aircraft came down near. "From the helicopter itself, it's pretty well destroyed," Silverman said. "So we are going to have to go through the rubble and see how many victims there were on board, as well as identify the helicopter; we couldn't even see a tail." Fire department battalion chief Rico A. Gross confirmed two additional people were transported to a hospital; their conditions were not immediately released.
The Stations' Response
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles said in a statement they "are deeply saddened" to learn of the crash, extending "heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives." NBC4 Los Angeles anchor Colleen Williams confirmed the crash during a live broadcast.
State and Federal Response
California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked emergency crews responding to both crashes, writing on X that "our hearts are with the victims and families." The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed they will investigate the cause of the helicopter crash, with an NTSB investigator scheduled to arrive Wednesday.
The Bus Crash That Preceded It
The helicopter crash occurred while news crews were covering the earlier collision between an SUV and a city bus, which the Los Angeles Fire Department said left at least two people dead and six others injured. Full details on the cause of that separate incident had not been released as of this writing.
A Sobering Reminder of an Occupational Risk
Tuesday's crash underscores the inherent risks faced by television news helicopter crews, who regularly fly in close proximity to one another and to ground-level incidents while racing to cover breaking news. Similar tragedies have occurred before in broadcast journalism history, including a 2007 incident in Phoenix in which two competing news helicopters collided midair while covering a police pursuit, killing all four crew members aboard both aircraft.
What's Next
With NTSB and FAA investigators set to begin examining the wreckage Wednesday, official determination of the helicopter crash's cause is likely to take time, given the extent of the aircraft's destruction. Identification of the victims had not been released as of this writing, pending notification of next of kin. For continuing live coverage, see the full NBC News report.