Three dead after helicopter crash in Los Angeles, fire department says

The NTSB and FAA will handle the investigation, the fire department said.

A helicopter has crashed in Los Angeles, and three people were determined to be dead at the scene, with a fourth victim taken to the hospital in unknown condition, CBS Los Angeles reported Tuesday.

The NTSB and FAA will handle the investigation, the fire department said.

The crash occurred in the San Fernando Valley, between two commercial buildings near the 9100 block of N. Mason Avenue, with the aircraft appearing to have landed on top of two shipping containers and several parked vehicles.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear.

According to the report, a large fire broke out after the crash and spread to nearby vehicles.

According to several media reports, the helicopter involved in the crash was a television news helicopter, as several TV news helicopters were in the area reporting on the bus collision.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was "devastated" by the loss of life in the helicopter crash and the bus collision in Chatsworth, thanking emergency responders for their swift response.

Reuters could not immediately verify whether the helicopter involved was a TV news helicopter. The Los Angeles Fire Department did not immediately respond to emailed requests for further details.

"We do have one confirmed patient who seemed to be outside of the helicopter when it crashed," said LAFD Captain Branden Silverman. "That person was declared deceased on scene... At this point, we have not confirmed how many victims, or how many people, were inside the helicopter."

Helicopter destroyed in crash, fire department officer says

"The helicopter itself, it's pretty well destroyed, so we are going to have to go through the rubble and see how many victims there were on board as well as identify the helicopter," Silverman said.