Eliana Moreno dies in NBC helicopter crash in Los Angeles

On Tuesday night (15), an NBC Los Angeles helicopter crashed into a Chatsworth parking lot, killing reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. The accident happened while the aircraft was covering a collision between a public transit bus and a passenger car.

What happened to the NBC crew

Anchor Colleen Williams announced live on air that the helicopter, belonging to the local NBC affiliate, had gone missing from coverage. Shortly after, Williams confirmed the deaths of Moreno, 38, and pilot Marciniw, alongside a third victim who was on the ground.

Who was Eliana Moreno

Eliana Moreno had been working on the Angel City Air helicopter team since 2010. A broadcast journalism and political science graduate from Chapman University, she had previously worked as a reporter at other Southern California stations before joining NBC 4 and Telemundo 52.

Accident details

The helicopter, a 2004 Eurocopter AS350 B2 model, was following the coverage of the collision between the bus and the car when it crashed into a parking lot near a storage facility. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that the aircraft was virtually destroyed and that one person on the ground also died.

Reactions from networks and authorities

NBC 4 and Telemundo 52 released a statement mourning the loss and sending condolences to the families. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom expressed sorrow over the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched an investigation to determine the causes of the crash.

Impact on news coverage

Following the confirmation of the accident, NBC interrupted the broadcast so that journalists could process the information. Williams reported that the programming would be temporarily replaced while the team reorganized.

With information from G1, CNN Brasil, Jovem Pan.