A television news helicopter went down over Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, while it was covering a deadly traffic accident live on the air. The aircraft, affiliated with NBC’s Los Angeles station, was one of several helicopters hovering above the scene of a bus crash that had already killed two people hours earlier.
Video captured during the live broadcast shows the exact moment the helicopter lost control and plunged to the ground, cutting the transmission abruptly. Emergency crews rushed to the crash site, but authorities confirmed that at least three people aboard the helicopter died. Officials have not yet released the identities of the victims or detailed the cause of the crash, though an investigation is expected to follow, as is standard procedure for aviation accidents in the United States.
News helicopters are commonly used across Los Angeles to provide real-time aerial coverage of traffic incidents, police pursuits, and breaking news, given the city’s sprawling freeway system and frequent commuter congestion. This crash adds a tragic layer to what was already a fatal story, as the aircraft went down while documenting the aftermath of a separate deadly bus accident.
You can watch the footage and read further details on the original report from El Tiempo.
Source: Video del momento cuando helicóptero de NBC Los Ángeles se estrelló durante una transmisión en directo en EE. UU. (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: NTSBgov, PDM 1.0 (via Openverse).