Live video 'most important evidence' in deadly news chopper crash, NTSB says

A reporter, a pilot and one person on the ground were killed in the crash.

Live video taken from a Los Angeles TV news helicopter just before it crashed is among the "most important evidence" investigators have as they work to determine the cause of the deadly incident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar told reporters Wednesday that the live video feed from NBC Los Angeles helicopter reporter Eliana Moreno and her pilot George Marciniw "is probably the most important evidence that we have discovered so far."

NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar begins the on-scene examination September 16, 2026 of the Eurocopter AS 350 B2 helicopter that crashed September 15 during a news gathering operation in Chatsworth, Calif.NTSBPeople investigate the aftermath of a news helicopter crash in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, Sept. 16, 2026.Ethan Swope/AP PhotoThe final moments of the broadcast from inside the chopper show the helicopter shaking as alarms begin to sound. They start to fall and a voice asks, "You can't pull up?" before the feed is cut off.

"What we are going to do is get a pristine copy of that recording and send it to our recorder's lab for a sound spectrum analysis, because in that recording, we are clearly hearing sounds that are consistent with the engine changing its speed," Salazar said. "We're also hearing tones that are being generated that are likely advisories to the pilots."

A memorial for Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw who died in a helicopter crash is seen at the site of where their helicopter used to park at Whiteman Airport in Los Angeles, Sept. 16, 2026.Ethan Swope/AP PhotoRelated3 dead including reporter, pilot in news helicopter crash in LAMoreno, Marciniw, and a person on the ground, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, were all killed when the news chopper crashed between two commercial buildings in Chatsworth on Tuesday evening, officials said. A fourth person was taken to a hospital, officials said.

NBC Los Angeles said Moreno and Marciniw "logged hundreds of hours together in the sky" on stories including the January 2025 wildfires.

KNBC photojournalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were killed when their news reporting helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, a suburban neighborhood of Los Angeles, September 15, 2026.George Marciniw/FacebookIn this image from video provided by the Whiteman Airport Coalition, Eliana Moreno describes her job as a helicopter reporter, at the Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, Calif., July 13, 2026Whiteman Airport Coalition via APThe NBC Los Angeles helicopter was among several news choppers in the area at the time covering a deadly collision between a Metro bus and an SUV that unfolded about two hours earlier.

The bus and SUV crash left two people dead and several others injured, authorities said. The SUV driver, Bailee Lynn Rios, is being held on suspicion of murder for her alleged role in the bus crash, according to police.

A vigil will be held in Chatsworth on Thursday evening, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The NTSB said it will release its preliminary report on the chopper crash in 30 days, adding that a final report with a cause could take up to 18 months. 

An aerial view of the aftermath of a news helicopter that crashed in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, Sept. 16, 2026.Ethan Swope/AP PhotoRelated TopicsLos AngelesSponsored Content by TaboolaIran live updates: 'Hopefully we're toward the end of the war,' Trump says2 hours agoTrump blames global diesel shortages on Ukraine, says Tehran wants a dealSep 13Judge blocks adding Trump tribute to Kennedy Center in scathing ruling2 days agoAll Ed Sheeran opening acts withdraw from tour after Macklemore dropped2 days agoABC News Live24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events