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A news helicopter covering a deadly traffic collision in Los Angeles crashed Tuesday evening, killing KNBC-TV (NBC 4) aerial journalist Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and a person on the ground. The Eurocopter AS350 B2, operated by Angel City Air for NBC 4 and Telemundo 52, went down in a commercial area of Chatsworth shortly before 7:00 PM local time, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department and NBC Los Angeles. Two other people were hospitalized.
Video recorded from the helicopter provides a disturbing account of its final moments. As the aircraft begins losing altitude, several alarms can be heard, followed by Moreno asking, “You can’t pull up?” The recording ends shortly after that. The footage does not show what triggered the emergency, and investigators have not determined whether the alarms were linked to an engine problem or another system failure. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also involved.
What The Final Video Shows
The footage was being transmitted as the helicopter provided aerial coverage of a fatal collision involving a Metro bus and an SUV. The camera initially shows the scene below before the aircraft begins to descend. As the situation develops, alarms become audible, and the helicopter appears to lose altitude rapidly. The video and audio may be disturbing to some.
The final exchange has drawn particular attention because Moreno’s question suggests the crew recognized a serious loss of aircraft performance. However, the recording alone cannot establish what the pilot was experiencing or which systems were affected. Investigators will need to examine the helicopter’s wreckage, maintenance history, flight data, and other available evidence before identifying a cause.
Witnesses Saw The Helicopter Losing Altitude
People on the ground described unusual movement immediately before the crash. One witness told NBC Los Angeles that the helicopter appeared to be swaying before gradually descending. He said it kept dropping until he lost sight of it behind nearby buildings. Moments later, he saw smoke and fire.
The helicopter crashed in a parking area between commercial buildings on North Mason Avenue, striking storage containers and setting nearby vehicles on fire. Firefighters contained the blaze, and the surrounding buildings were not struck. The location was only a short distance from the earlier bus collision that Moreno and Marciniw had been covering. Moreno and Marciniw were the only people aboard the helicopter. NBC Los Angeles said they had worked together since 2023 and had logged hundreds of hours flying together while covering wildfires, police pursuits, and other breaking news across Southern California.
Investigators Now Face The Central Question
Moreno’s question is striking because it captures the crew confronting an apparent loss of altitude in real time. It does not, however, establish whether the aircraft could not climb because of an engine problem, a loss of rotor performance, a control issue, or another circumstance. Determining what the crew knew the aircraft was capable of doing, and when the underlying problem began, will require evidence beyond the recording.
The investigation will therefore focus on reconstructing the final minutes rather than interpreting a single moment. The NTSB’s findings could ultimately explain why the aircraft entered the descent, whether an identifiable mechanical or operational issue initiated it, and whether anything could have prevented the crash. Until that work is completed, the chilling footage documents the final moments of the flight, but it does not yet explain them.
