A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the deadly crash of a Los Angeles news helicopter has identified live video footage from the aircraft as the most important evidence in determining the cause of the incident, officials confirmed Wednesday.
The Eurocopter AS 350 B2 helicopter, operated by NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52, crashed in the Chatsworth neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley on Tuesday, killing three people: reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and Edy Gutierrez Mejia, a 29-year-old pedestrian on the ground. The aircraft went down near a storage facility, igniting a fire that spread to at least four vehicles and two storage containers.
Dashcam footage captured by a Los Angeles driver, Year Valencia, shows the helicopter rapidly descending moments before impact. The NTSB’s investigator-in-charge, Fabian Salazar, stated that the live broadcast feed from Moreno and Marciniw’s chopper—which captured alarms sounding and the crew’s final moments—will be analyzed as a critical data point in the probe. The video, obtained from the station’s broadcast, shows the helicopter shaking before the feed cuts off abruptly.
Separate incident linked to crash site
The helicopter crash occurred roughly two hours after a deadly collision involving an SUV and a city bus in the same area. Authorities reported that the SUV, driven by Bailee Lynn Rios, had been traveling the wrong way, ran a red light, and struck another vehicle before hitting the bus. The crash killed two people and injured six others. Rios was arrested Tuesday night and charged with murder by Los Angeles police. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case to determine what charges, if any, will be filed.
Memorials and ongoing investigation
A memorial for Moreno and Marciniw was established at Whiteman Airport in Los Angeles, where the helicopter was based. Investigators from the NTSB are conducting an on-scene examination of the wreckage to determine the cause of the crash. The agency has not yet released preliminary findings or a timeline for the investigation.
The NTSB’s Salazar emphasized that the pristine copy of the live video recording will be sent to the agency’s headquarters for further analysis. The investigation remains ongoing, with no immediate conclusions drawn about mechanical failure, pilot error, or external factors contributing to the crash.