The son of Los Angeles news helicopter pilot George Marciniw has shared a statement following his father’s death earlier this month in a tragic series of events in Chatsworth.
Mike Marciniw expressed gratitude for the support his family has received after the Sept. 15 helicopter crash that killed his father and reporter Eliana Moreno as they were covering a deadly bus crash for NBCLA and Telemundo 52 in the San Fernando Valley community.
“I want to start by saying thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Mike Marciniw said in the statement issued Monday. “The outpouring of support has been nothing short of amazing. You never really know the amount of lives someone has touched until something like this happens.
“As you can imagine my family and I are devastated. We are doing our best to navigate this and carry out my father’s wishes to the best of our ability. As difficult as it is please try to remember that my father would not want us to be sad, but instead to celebrate him and the life that he lived. He did it the best way that he knew how. I miss him dearly.
“I love you Pop.”
The 70-year-old Marciniw, a 1974 graduate of Burbank High School, was a well-regarded pilot with more than 30 years of experience in Los Angeles. He also was an instructor for aspiring aviators and remembered by those who knew him as kind and humble.
Eliana MorenoEliana Moreno
An undated image of Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw.
Marciniw and Moreno, 38, often worked together covering wildfires, police pursuits, victory parades and more for NBCLA and Telemundo 52. The deaths of the long-time news helicopter crew members led to an outpouring of support from the community.
Outside the NBCLA/Telemundo 52 studios in Universal City, flowers and balloons were left on the station’s logos. More items in remembrance of the victims were left at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, where the helicopter was based.
At the crash site in Chatsworth, a vigil was held to remember those who died in the helicopter and bus crashes. Flowers, cards and other items were left at the location.
NewsChopper4 was over the site on the afternoon of Sept. 15 to provide coverage of a Metro bus crash that killed two passengers. The helicopter crash also killed a 29-year-old man on the ground.
The names of Marciniw and Moreno will be added to the Fallen Journalists Memorial, which recognizes contributions of journalists who have died as they covered news. The memorial is expected to be completed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. by the end of 2028.
The SUV driver has been charged with murder, DUI and reckless driving.