3 dead after news helicopter crashes while covering deadly Los Angeles bus collision
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Sept. 15, 2026, 10:47 PM EDT / Updated Sept. 16, 2026, 1:21 AM EDTBy Dennis Romero
A news helicopter crashed in the Chatsworth community of Los Angeles while it was covering a bus collision Tuesday evening, killing three people, officials said.
The aircraft crashed in a parking lot at or near a self-storage facility in the community, which is in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department and news video on the ground from NBC Los Angeles.
The helicopter was operated by Angel City Air and affiliated with the station, which said earlier on the air that it had lost contact with those on board.
"We knew it was a news chopper, we knew we'd lost contact with our people out there, and we've just received the confirmation that, in fact, News Chopper 4 went down just before 7 o'clock tonight in Chatsworth," anchor Colleen Williams said.
"We're going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process and to regroup," Williams added, her voice at times emotional.
Angel City Air, which describes itself as "a full-service aerial production company," did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
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At least three people killed in helicopter crash near Los Angeles00:55
Three people were dead at the scene, and two others were taken to the hospital, LAFD Battalion Chief Rico A. Gross said at a late-night news conference. Their conditions were unavailable.
One of the deceased appeared to be a pedestrian on the ground when the crash happened, Fire Capt. Branden Silverman said earlier.
NBC Los Angeles and its Spanish-language sister station, Telemundo 52, issued a joint statement expressing condolences.
"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," the stations said. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives."
The helicopter crash occurred after two people were killed and others were injured in a crash between a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger vehicle on Nordhoff Street, according to the fire department.
First responders work the scene after a helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, on Tuesday.Ethan Swope / AP
It said that the bus crash happened at 5:03 p.m. and that firefighters worked to free the trapped people and assess the bus passengers.
The helicopter was one of multiple aircraft covering the crash, NBC Los Angeles reported earlier.
Fire and police personnel were nearby, Silverman said. They rushed to the crash, reported shortly before 7 p.m., and found the helicopter engulfed in flames, which had spread to nearby parked vehicles, he added.
A witness who was in a vehicle nearby told NBC Los Angeles that he saw the chopper's unusual descent.
"I happened to look over my shoulder and I saw a certain news helicopter, oddly, just coming straight down," he said. "I looked at it and I go, 'That's weird. No helicopter comes down like that.' And then two seconds later, the smoke. It came just straight down."
The fire department said the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be involved in the investigation.
Speaking near the scene Tuesday night, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said it was "a heartbreaking night for our city." She praised first responders for their quick reaction and expressed grief over those who were killed in the bus collision and the aircraft crash.
"We lost five Angelenos today," she said, "and my heart certainly goes out to the family and friends of all of those that we lost."
Gov. Gavin Newsom also thanked first responders and offered condolences in a statement on X.
"Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight's devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family," he said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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