NBC News helicopter crashes in Los Angeles, killing at least three
An NBC news helicopter crashed and caught fire in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles, resulting in at least three deaths and one injury, while emergency crews also responded to a separate SUV-bus collision earlier that day.
A NewsChopper4 helicopter operated by Angel City Air went down near a storage building in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, bursting into flames and killing at least three people, officials said. The crash occurred while NBC4 reporters were covering a separate collision in which an SUV struck a city bus, killing two and injuring six.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Branden Silverman said one victim was found outside the aircraft in a parking lot, and investigators were still determining whether the other two fatalities were on the ground or aboard the helicopter. The fire department described the helicopter as "pretty well destroyed" and noted that more than 50 firefighters responded, extinguishing the blaze that also ignited four cars and two storage containers.
One person was transported to a hospital, though their condition was not disclosed. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident, with an NTSB investigator scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.
Governor Gavin Newsom thanked emergency responders for their efforts and expressed sympathy for the victims and their families.