NBC4 News Helicopter Crashes In Chatsworth While Covering LA Bus Crash, 3 Killed

Three people were killed after an NBC news helicopter crashed and burst into flames in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening while television crews were covering an earlier collision between an SUV and a city bus, officials and the station said.

The helicopter went down shortly before 7 pm near a commercial storage facility in Chatsworth, in the San Fernando Valley. The earlier bus collision left at least two people dead and six injured.

Colleen Williams, an NBC4 Los Angeles anchor, confirmed during live broadcasts that the station’s helicopter had crashed and that two people aboard had been killed. Moments later, the station’s coverage abruptly cut off.

“We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, process it,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion.

Helicopter crashes near Chatsworth storage facility

The helicopter crashed near a large storage facility where news crews had been covering the bus collision, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

NBC confirmed that the helicopter was NewsChopper4, operated by Angel City Air and used by NBCLA and Telemundo 52. According to Associated Press, several television news helicopters were covering the bus crash before NewsChopper4 went down about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) from the site of the collision.

At least one person killed in the helicopter crash was outside in the parking lot next to the commercial building, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Branden Silverman said.

Two people were taken to hospital, said Rico A. Gross, a fire department battalion chief. Their conditions were not immediately released.

“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.”

The crash caused a fire that spread to at least four cars and two storage containers on the ground. Officials said the fire was quickly extinguished.

More than 70 firefighters responded to the helicopter crash, according to the fire department. Dozens of police cars surrounded the storage facility as ambulances entered the scene.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, fire officials and other politicians spoke at a news conference on Tuesday night but did not provide details about the identities of those killed in the helicopter crash.

“Losing five Angelenos is very painful,” Bass said. “And I know this community of Chatsworth hit hard, will be grieving for some time.”

After the news conference, Bass and other officials embraced a crying NBC reporter, who was also hugged by fellow journalists.

NBC4 and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles said in a statement they “are deeply saddened” to learn of the helicopter crash and extended “heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”

SUV and bus collision killed two

The helicopter had been used to cover an earlier crash involving an SUV and a city bus.

About two hours before the helicopter crash, the SUV slammed into the middle of a city bus, killing at least two people and injuring six others, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Photos and videos posted online showed half of the SUV lodged into the side of the MTA bus.

Associated Press reported that the helicopter went down about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) from the bus collision.

California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked emergency crews responding to both crashes. In a post on X, he said, “our hearts are with the victims and families.”

NTSB, FAA to investigate crash

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said they would investigate the cause of the helicopter crash. The agencies said an investigator would be sent to the scene on Wednesday.

Associated Press reported that at least eight fatal crashes involving news helicopters have occurred in the United States since 2000, killing 16 people, based on a review of federal accident records and news accounts.

Those incidents include a 2023 crash in a New Jersey forest that killed a pilot and photographer aboard a helicopter used by Philadelphia station WPVI. In 2022, a helicopter crashed beside an interstate in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing a pilot and meteorologist during a training flight for WBTV.