Archive · 16 Sep 2026
NBC Los Angeles Helicopter Crash Kills Journalist and Pilot
A helicopter used by NBC 4 to report the news crashed in Chatsworth, California.
Journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw died.
A third person on the ground also died, but officials had not identified that person.
At least two other people were hurt.
The helicopter had been recording an automobile accident when it went down.
Video showed the camera shaking before an alarm sounded.
The alarm may have warned that the rotor was spinning too slowly.
Officials had not confirmed the cause of the crash.
Journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were killed when an NBC 4 helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, California.
A third person, believed to have been a pedestrian, also died but has not been identified.
At least two other people were injured in the crash between two commercial buildings.
Video from the helicopter’s final moments showed shaking footage and an audible alarm that could indicate dangerously low rotor RPM.
Moreno and Marciniw frequently worked together and had covered wildfires, police chases, and other stories since 2023.
- Who
- NBC 4 journalist Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and an unidentified third person died; at least two others were injured.
- What
- An NBC 4 news helicopter crashed while covering an automobile accident.
- When
- The crash occurred last night, with authorities first notified around 7 p.m. and NBC 4 confirming the helicopter shortly before 9 p.m.
- Where
- Between two commercial buildings in Chatsworth, California, in the Los Angeles area.
- Why
- The helicopter was covering an automobile accident; video raised the possibility of a dangerously low rotor RPM, but the cause was not confirmed.
- Confirmed fatalities
- Three people
- Identified victims
- Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw
- Unidentified victim
- A third person believed to have been a pedestrian
- Injuries
- At least two people injured
- Aircraft
- NBC 4 news helicopter
- Crash location
- Between two commercial buildings in Chatsworth, California
- Possible warning sign
- An alarm that could indicate dangerously low rotor RPM