The helicopter, which belonged to the Los Angeles NBC affiliate, was flying over a fatal bus crash before it crashed nearby.
LOS ANGELES — A news helicopter crashed and killed three people in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday evening near the scene of a fatal bus crash, according to fire officials.
The NBC4 news helicopter was hovering in the air covering a story about a crash between a city bus and an SUV that left at least two people dead and six others injured.
The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed three people died in the helicopter crash: two people aboard the helicopter and one person on the ground. A fourth person who was taken to the hospital was in shock but not physically injured, the fire department told NBC4.
Fire officials said one of the deceased was a pedestrian in the parking lot where the helicopter crashed.
“This a heartbreaking night for our city,” said Mayor Karen Bass at a news conference. “My thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with the friends and family of those we lost.”
Colleen Williams, an NBC4 anchor, confirmed during a live broadcast that the station’s chopper, operated by Angel City Air, went down just before 7 p.m.
“We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, process it,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion. Moments later their coverage abruptly cut off.
“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,” NBC4 and Telemundo 52 said in a statement on the NBC4 website. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
The helicopter and other vehicles nearby were fully engulfed in flames because of the helicopter crash, which happened around 7 p.m., fire officials told KTLA. Four vehicles caught fire and a storage unit was damaged.
About 70 firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the fire, officials said.
The fire official said the helicopter was “pretty well destroyed,” they couldn’t see a tail number and they will be looking through the rubble.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will take over the investigation.
The cause of the crash was unclear.
“I’m absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight. My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash,” Bass said in a statement on social media.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked the emergency crews responding to both crashes and said in a post on X that “our hearts are with the victims and families.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
