Journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were identified as two of the people killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday night in Los Angeles, NBC4 Los Angeles confirmed.
Moreno and Marciniw worked for Angel City Air, the helicopter charter operator behind NBC Los Angeles’ NewsChopper4, NBC4 reported.
The NewsChopper4 crew had been reporting on a fatal bus crash in downtown Los Angeles when the aircraft, confirmed by NBC4 to be owned by the network, began losing altitude and went down. The crash also killed a person on the ground, whose identity has not been released.
Eliana Moreno pictured aboard a news helicopter. (Facebook/Eliana Moreno)
For years, Moreno was a familiar presence in aerial reporting for both NBC4 and Telemundo 52. Known to viewers and colleagues as “Eli in the Heli,” she helped deliver breaking-news coverage from above Southern California.
She had flown and worked alongside Marciniw since 2023. Social media posts shared over the years showed the colleagues both on assignment and spending time together away from the job.
Marciniw was a Southern California native and a 1974 graduate of Burbank High School, according to NBC4.
Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw stand together in front of NewsChopper4. (Facebook/George Marciniw)
“We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives,” NBC4 and Telemundo 52 said in a statement.
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The helicopter crashed between two buildings in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles, triggering a massive fireball. A fourth person was injured in the incident.
At least three people were killed when a helicopter crashed not far from a deadly bus crash in Los Angeles. (KABC)
The injured person was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Branden Silverman told reporters.
“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,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in a statement on X.
“Thank you to the first responders working tirelessly tonight,” he added.
Eliana Moreno poses on a helipad with Los Angeles in the background. (Facebook/Eliana Moreno)
The National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said they will be sending investigators to the crash site on Wednesday to probe the crash’s cause.