News helicopter crashes near scene of fatal LA bus accident

Los Angeles: A news helicopter crashed in a Los Angeles neighbourhood on Tuesday and burst into flames, killing at least three people while reporters were covering the nearby crash of an SUV and a city bus, officials said.

Colleen Williams, an NBC4 Los Angeles anchor, confirmed during live broadcasts that the station’s helicopter went down just before 7pm (Midday AEST) and two people onboard were killed.

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“We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, process it,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion. Moments later, their coverage abruptly cut off.

Fire officials, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other politicians spoke during an evening news conference but gave no details on who perished in the crash. After the briefing, the mayor and other officials embraced a crying NBC reporter, who was also hugged by fellow journalists.

“Losing five Angelenos is very painful,” Bass said. “And I know this community of Chatsworth hit hard, [and] will be grieving for some time.”

The helicopter crashed near a large storage facility in Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley, as news crews were covering the bus crash that left at least two people dead and six others injured, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

At least one person killed in the helicopter crash was outside in the car park next to the commercial building, said Captain Branden Silverman, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Two people were transported to a hospital, said Rico Gross, a fire department battalion chief. Their conditions were not immediately released.

“From the helicopter itself, it’s pretty well destroyed,” Silverman said. “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; we couldn’t even see a tail.”

At least four cars and two storage containers on the ground burned after the helicopter caught fire, which was quickly put out, according to officials. More than 70 firefighters responded to the helicopter crash, according to the fire department. Dozens of police cars surrounded the scene at the storage facility as ambulances entered.

About two hours before the crash, an SUV crashed into the middle of a city bus, killing at least two people and injuring six others. Photos and videos online showed half the SUV lodged into the side of an MTA bus.

NBC has confirmed the helicopter was NewsChopper4, which is operated by Angel City Air, and was used by NBCLA and Telemundo 52. The outlet said several TV news helicopters were reporting on the bus crash before the helicopter went down about 2.4 kilometres from the bus collision.

NBC4 and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles said in a statement they were “deeply saddened” to learn of the helicopter crash and extended “heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives”.

California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked the emergency crews responding to both crashes and said in a post on X that “our hearts are with the victims and families”.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate and will be sending one of its staff to the scene on Wednesday.

There have been at least eight fatal crashes involving news helicopters in the US since 2000, killing 16 people, according to a review of federal accident records and news accounts.

They include a 2023 crash in a New Jersey forest that killed the pilot and a photographer aboard a helicopter used by Philadelphia station WPVI and a 2022 crash beside a Charlotte, North Carolina, interstate that killed a pilot and meteorologist during a training flight for WBTV.