3 dead after NBC Los Angeles news helicopter crashes in Chatsworth

At least one person was killed when a Los Angeles news helicopter crashed in the San Fernando Valley on Tuesday night near the scene of a deadly Metro bus crash in Chatsworth. 

The crash happened between two commercial buildings near the 9100 block of N. Mason Avenue, according to Los Angeles firefighters. The aircraft appeared to have landed on top of two shipping containers and several vehicles that were parked in the area.

Circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, but SkyCal was overhead as Los Angeles firefighters worked to fight the flames from a large fire that broke out after the crash. 

Firefighters and Los Angeles police erected a canopy over one body after the fire was extinguished. Crews have not yet said how many people were inside the aircraft when it crashed.

"We do have one confirmed patient that 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."

It's still not immediately clear which news station the helicopter belonged to.

"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.

Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were contacted to assist with the investigation, firefighters said. Los Angeles police are also investigating the crash.