At least 3 dead after news helicopter crashes in Los Angeles - USA Today
At least three people were killed on Sept. 15 when a news helicopter crashed and burst into flames in Los Angeles while reporters were covering a nearby vehicle collision, officials and NBC4 Los Angeles said.
The crash was reported shortly before 7 p.m. local time in Chatsworth, a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, where the helicopter went down between two commercial buildings, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The aircraft and several nearby vehicles caught fire upon impact.
"We did have a loss of lives of three members of the community, and two members transported to the hospital," Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Rico Gross said at a late evening news conference.
Earlier, Fire Capt. Branden Silverman told reporters that emergency crews initially found one victim outside the helicopter in a parking lot and that person was declared dead at the scene. The condition of the victims taken to the hospital was not immediately known.
Silverman said firefighters arrived to find the helicopter and several vehicles fully engulfed in flames. The crash also threatened a nearby commercial building, though the fire did not spread into the structure.
"I'm absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement on social media. "My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash."
The mayor thanked emergency personnel for their swift response and asked the public to stay away from the area as authorities continued investigating the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash.
By about 8 p.m. local time, the fire department reported the fire had been extinguished. Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged, but no buildings were impacted.
More than 70 firefighters responded to the incident, according to Gross. He added that fire crews were still working on "final extinguishment," including on some container boxes and fuel runoff
"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."
Authorities have not released information about those aboard the helicopter or identified the aircraft. Colleen Williams, an anchor for NBC4 Los Angeles, confirmed at about 9 p.m. local time that the station's Chopper 4 had crashed.
"We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process, and to regroup," Williams said before the station signed off its live broadcast.
The station reported earlier that it lost contact with one of its helicopters, operated by Angel City Air, while it was in the area.
Several television news helicopters had already been in the area reporting on a crash involving a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger vehicle, KNBC-TV and The Los Angeles Times reported. At least two people were killed, and six others were injured in that incident, the fire department said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed condolences after the crash and thanked first responders.
"Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family," the governor said on X.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she was "shocked and deeply saddened by today’s tragic helicopter crash involving members of the NBC4 family."
"My heart goes out to everyone affected by this devastating loss, especially the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives," Barger said in a statement. "I extend my deepest condolences to the entire NBC4 community during this incredibly difficult time."
