News chopper crash in Los Angeles kills three

LOS ANGELES: Three people were killed on Tuesday (Sep 15) in a fiery crash when a United States news helicopter covering a deadly bus accident came down in a Los Angeles neighbourhood.

Media in the city had scrambled to cover an incident in which an SUV ploughed into a bus in the Chatsworth area, northwest of downtown, killing three people and injuring many others.

Reporters who were at the scene of the bus crash said they heard a loud bang, with some saying they saw a helicopter come down around a block away, sending plumes of smoke into the air.

Aerial footage showed a large fire that appeared to involve shipping containers and cars, and the wreckage of a helicopter, whose mangled tail and rotors could be seen in the flames.

Colleen Williams, a news anchor for NBC4, confirmed during emotional live coverage that the local news station's helicopter had gone down just before 7pm (2am on Wednesday GMT).

"We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we'd lost contact with our people out there, and we've just received confirmation," Williams said.

NBC4 identified the victims aboard NewsChopper 4 as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw.

The third victim appeared to be a pedestrian on the ground when the crash happened.

Dozens of firefighters were sent to the scene, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

"Four patients have been assessed. Three patients have been determined deceased on scene. One patient has been transported to a local hospital in unknown condition," it said in a statement.

"DESTROYED"

The fire department said the helicopter went down between two commercial buildings, damaging four vehicles and two containers.

"From the helicopter itself, it's pretty well destroyed," said Branden Silverman, a spokesman for the fire department.

"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," he said.

The cause of the crash was unclear, but the National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was "absolutely devastated" by the incident.

"My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash," she said in a statement.

NBC4 and Telemundo 52, another outlet using the helicopter, offered "heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives".

Los Angeles, America's second-biggest city, is a competitive and crowded media market, where TV stations compete aggressively for stories.

Many of them routinely make use of aerial coverage, sending helicopters into the city's already busy skies to cover everything from fires to dramatic car chases.

There are usually two people on board a news media helicopter - the pilot and the reporter-camera operator who frequently reports live from the sky.