Newly released surveillance video captures the harrowing final seconds before a news helicopter rapidly lost altitude and crashed Tuesday night in Chatsworth, killing its two crew members and a man on the ground.
The footage, obtained by NBCLA from a nearby building, shows the Airbus helicopter hovering above an intersection before suddenly descending toward the ground.
The aircraft had been reporting on a fatal collision involving an SUV and a Metro bus when it crashed into the parking lot of a self-storage facility.
Reporter Eliana Moreno, 38, and pilot George Marciniw died in the crash. Also killed was 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground at the time.
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The newly obtained video does not show the helicopter’s complete descent, as a building obstructs the camera’s view during its final moments. Seconds later, however, thick smoke and flames rise from behind the structure as emergency responders rush to the scene.
The video emerged as federal investigators examine whether an engine problem or other mechanical failure contributed to the deadly helicopter crash.
The recording also appears to indicate that the aircraft did not merely run out of fuel.
Smoke becomes visible about 20 seconds after the impact, while flames first appear roughly 50 seconds after the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board has asked anyone with video of the Chatsworth crash to contact investigators as they work to reconstruct the helicopter’s final moments.