The late pilot George Marciniw was proud of his work with NewsChopper4 but was humble in speaking about his career, according to his church’s leader.
Marciniw died Tuesday along with aerial reporter Eliana Moreno after the news helicopter they were in crashed while they were working on coverage of a deadly crash involving a bus in Chatsworth. The tragedy also resulted in the death of 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground when the helicopter crash happened.
The pilot frequented the Ukrainian Catholic Church in East Hollywood. The place of worship was a staple in Marciniw’s family since his parents were parishioners and he grew up attending. Father Ihor Koshyk said the church is not the same without him.
“Most of the time, George was sitting here. Right in this, you know, this pew,” Koshyk said as he pointed out Marciniw’s preferred place to sit during service. “Maybe one day we can rename this pew in his memory.”
Marciniw graduated from Burbank High School in 1974. Not only was he a pilot, but he also was an instructor for aspiring aviators. He’s believed to have had more than 30 years of flight experience and whenever his fellow churchgoers learned of his career, they were often shocked.
“Some of our parishioners, his good friends, they didn’t know he was flying NBC4,” Koshyk said. “That’s what his neighbor told us, too. ‘Flying the helicopter?!’ I was like, yeah!”
Aside from being a cherished part of his church, Marciniw was also a beloved member in his community. Brea Angelo, who was his neighbor, said they lived next door to one another for 11 years.
The brother of NBC4 journalist Eliana Moreno issued a statement following her tragic death in a helicopter crash on Tuesday. This video was broadcast on the NBC4 News at 6 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2026.
“My daughter was just saying how he always threw the balls back,” Angelo said, adding that her children addressed Marciniw as “Mister George.” “Whenever any of the balls would land in his yard, he would throw it back. And they loved him. They’re all very sad.”
In addition from having skills in the sky, Marciniw was a balanced person who was also skilled on the ground. The Burbank native had a knack for gardening and used his green thumb to beautify his space.
“We have all this beautiful lavender that grows because he planted it,” Angelo said, pointing to a flourishing lavender bush. “I would get to take this lavender. Like right here, this is George’s lavender. My mom was visiting in town, and she said the last time I saw him, I thanked him for his lavender.”
Emotional, Angelo said she hopes the bush stays flourishing.
“I hope whoever, I hope they keep the lavender, and the honeysuckle,” she said. “The sweetness — that’s really representative of him. He was really sweet and kind.”