NBC helicopter crash kills three in Los Angeles
Three people were killed when an NBC news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles while covering a road collision, including a person on the ground.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Three people have been killed after an NBC news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles. The aircraft came down in the Chatsworth neighbourhood while it was covering an earlier collision between a car and a bus that had already killed two people. Among the dead are the helicopter's pilot, George March, a journalist, Elania Moreno, and a person who was in a car park where the helicopter fell.
The crash happened just before 7pm local time, according to NBC, which confirmed the aircraft was one of its news choppers. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the helicopter was "fully involved in fire" when crews arrived, and that the blaze spread to nearby vehicles but did not extend into a commercial building. Fire Captain Brendan Silverman said the wreckage was "pretty well destroyed" and that investigators would need to search the rubble to identify all the victims.
Two other people were taken to hospital. Around 70 firefighters attended the scene. The cause of the crash has not yet been given. The helicopter was one of several news choppers covering the earlier collision in the same area, which killed two people. NBC had lost contact with its crew before confirming the downed aircraft. In an on-air announcement, the network said: "We can now confirm that the chopper that went down in Chatsworth tonight about two hours ago was in fact news chopper for."
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 4 | Sky News |
|---|---|---|
| At least three people were killed in the helicopter crash. | ||
| A person in a car park was killed in the helicopter crash. | · | |
| NBC confirmed that the downed helicopter was its own news chopper. | · | |
| The fire did not spread to the commercial building. | · | |
| The helicopter was covering a car-bus collision that killed two people. | · | |
| The two crew members killed were identified as Elania Moreno and George March. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This bulletin treats the crash as a leading breaking news item, focusing on the immediate death toll and the context of the original car-bus collision. It includes a direct quote from the LA fire captain and notes the helicopter came down between two buildings, before moving quickly to other stories.
- “At least three people have been killed after an NBC news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles.”
- “Officials say the helicopter came down between two buildings and that at least one person was killed outside in a car park.”
- “It was fully involved in fire when we arrived as well as several other vehicles that it crashed next to.”
This segment provides more depth on the victims, naming the pilot and journalist, and includes NBC's own on-air confirmation of the downed aircraft. It also captures the network's emotional reaction, adding a human dimension to the story before moving on.
- “We can now confirm that the chopper that went down in Chatsworth tonight about two hours ago was in fact news chopper for”
- “Well aerial photo journalists Elania Moreno and then pilot George March, you know We're killed”
- “This is a heartbreaking night for our city and my thoughts and Prayers are first and foremost with the families and loved ones that we lost today”
This is a concise news summary, focusing on the essential facts: three dead, the victims' roles, two hospitalised, and the response of 70 firefighters. It notes the cause has not been given, keeping the report short and straightforward.
- “Three people have died in Los Angeles after a news helicopter crashed.”
- “The pilot, a journalist and a person on the ground were all killed.”
- “The cause of the crash has not yet been given.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.