| Quick Answer The Chatsworth Helicopter Crash occurred when a news helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings on North Mason Avenue in Chatsworth, California, on the evening of 15 September 2026, while covering a separate fatal bus crash nearby. Three people died — two on board the aircraft and one person on the ground — and a fourth person was hospitalised. Social media reports link aerial journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw to the flight, but as of this writing, officials have not released the victims’ names. The FAA and NTSB are investigating. |
What Happened in Chatsworth on 15 September?
It started out as an ordinary breaking news assignment. Earlier that Tuesday, an SUV struck a Metro bus on the San Fernando Valley, Nordhoff Street, near De Soto Avenue. The collision left two people dead and six injured. News helicopters, as usual, arrived at the site to capture the footage of the accident for that evening’s news.
But then, another call came in less than an hour later, just before 7 pm. A helicopter had crashed into a parking lot between two commercial buildings on the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, about two miles away. The chopper hit several cars and storage containers before catching fire almost immediately.
More than 50 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene. Four cars, two storage containers were engulfed in flames before being brought under control by the firefighters. “The helicopter was pretty well destroyed,” said LAFD Capt. Branden Silverman to the press, which is a big reason why it took hours to determine who was on board.
Who Died in the Chatsworth Helicopter Crash?
The LAFD has confirmed three fatalities:
- Two people who were aboard the helicopter
- One person who was standing in the parking area when the aircraft came down
A fourth person was taken to hospital. Their condition hasn’t been made public yet. Because the wreckage burned so badly, investigators had to comb through it just to work out how many patients — their word for it — were actually inside the aircraft.
Who Is Eliana Moreno?
Eliana Moreno is a renowned aerial journalist and photographer who flies around Southern California for Newschopper 4 and has been covering wildfires, police chases, and traffic jams for NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52, giving local reporters and viewers an eye-opening perspective on events unfolding on the ground.
A graduate of Chapman University, where she studied Broadcast Journalism and Political Science, Moreno told her own network that she has longed to be a TV reporter since she was young. Before joining Angel City Air in 2010, she was a bilingual reporter and anchor in the Orange County market. Her work experience also includes being a camera operator, editor, and producer.
Her Work as an Aerial Reporter
Moreno is known on social media as @eli_in_the_heli and the Whiteman Airport Coalition has publicly thanked her and the local NewsChopper 4 for their coverage which “turns smoke on the horizon into information that saves lives and property”. That’s the sort of task she’s doing, turning far away, chaotic events into something the viewers can comprehend.
After yesterday’s crash, many on the internet were saying they recognized her voice in footage from just before the crash of the plane. It’s important to note here that just because someone recognizes a voice on social media, it doesn’t mean they have officially identified her voice.
Who Is George Marciniw, the Pilot?
George Marciniw is a commercial helicopter pilot with deep roots in Southern California aviation. He’s previously flown a Los Angeles news helicopter for KNBC and is identified in industry records as the owner-operator of Pacific Rotorways. He’s also appeared in local media before — in 2020, CBS Los Angeles spoke to him about a separate aircraft incident, drawing on his experience as a working pilot.
Were Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw on Board?
The question everybody seems to be asking is the one that, as yet, has no formal answer. Reports and social posts say Moreno and Marciniw were the two aboard the helicopter.
NBC Los Angeles, for its part, initially said it had not been able to hear back from its pilot or any other passengers on board that evening, feeding the speculation but not confirming their presence either.
Until NBC, Telemundo, the LAFD or the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner issues a statement naming names, treat this connection as being based on reports and not confirmed. This could make a difference to two families.
What Caused the Crash? FAA and NTSB Investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are both looking into the incident. No official cause has been released yet. Investigators will examine the wreckage, review the flight path, maintenance records, weather conditions, and radio communications to piece together the helicopter’s last moments.
NTSB helicopter investigations typically release a preliminary report within 30 days, with a complete final report–including a likely cause–taking a year or more. That’s a long time to wait for an answer, but it’s the standard, thorough process for any US aviation crash investigation.
Timeline of Events
| Time (15 Sept 2026) | Event |
|---|---|
| Afternoon | SUV collides with Metro bus near Nordhoff St & De Soto Ave; 2 killed |
| News helicopters dispatched | Multiple stations send aircraft to cover the bus crash |
| Just before 7pm | Helicopter crashes on North Mason Avenue, Chatsworth |
| Following hours | LAFD confirms 3 dead, 1 hospitalised; fire brought under control |
| Ongoing | FAA and NTSB launch formal investigation |
FAQ: Chatsworth Helicopter Crash
Where exactly did the helicopter crash?
On the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, in a parking lot between two commercial buildings.
How many people died in the Chatsworth helicopter crash?
Three people died: two who were on board the helicopter and one person who was on the ground in the parking area. A fourth person was hospitalised.
Was Eliana Moreno confirmed dead?
No. As of this writing, officials have not confirmed the identities of the two victims aboard the aircraft. Media reports and social media posts link her to the flight, but that hasn’t been officially verified.
Why was the helicopter in Chatsworth in the first place?
It was reportedly covering a separate, fatal crash between an SUV and a Metro bus that had happened nearby earlier the same day.
Who is investigating the crash?
The FAA and the NTSB are both investigating. The NTSB typically issues a preliminary report within about 30 days and a final report with probable cause much later.
Is this the same crash as the Metro bus accident in Chatsworth?
No — they’re two separate incidents that happened in the same area on the same day. The bus crash killed two people; the helicopter crash happened later while news crews covered it.
Related Questions People Are Asking
- What is NewsChopper 4 and who flies it?
- How common are news helicopter crashes in the US?
- What does the NTSB investigation process actually involve?
- Who was on the Metro bus involved in the Chatsworth crash?
The Bottom Line
This story is still moving. What’s solid: three people are dead, a fourth is in hospital, and the FAA and NTSB are digging into why a working news helicopter went down mid-assignment. What’s not yet solid: the identities of the two victims on board. Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw’s names are circulating widely, but until an official source confirms them, that’s where this story has to pause. We’ll update this page as authorities release more information.
