Three Killed as News Helicopter Covering Los Angeles Bus Crash Goes Down
A television news helicopter crashed and burst into flames in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening while news crews were covering a deadly collision between an SUV and a Metro bus nearby, killing three people and sending another person to a hospital.
The helicopter went down shortly before 7 p.m. on September 15 in the Chatsworth neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, in a parking area between commercial buildings on North Mason Avenue. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the aircraft was heavily damaged and authorities initially had to determine how many people were aboard.
NBC Los Angeles later confirmed that the helicopter was its NewsChopper4 aircraft, operated by Angel City Air. The helicopter had been providing aerial coverage of the earlier bus collision.
NBC LA confirming what we all knew yet still feared. pic.twitter.com/CKnOPSUbpc
— Traffic Cam Watch (@PCALive) September 16, 2026
Three killed in helicopter crash
Los Angeles fire officials said three people were killed in the helicopter crash. At least one of the victims was on the ground in the parking lot rather than aboard the aircraft.
One other person was taken to a hospital. Officials had not immediately released that person’s condition.
The crash ignited a fire that damaged four vehicles and two storage containers. More than 50 firefighters responded, and the flames were brought under control.
LAFD Capt. Branden Silverman said the helicopter was “pretty well destroyed” as emergency crews worked through the wreckage to determine the number of people who had been aboard.
The identities of those killed had not been publicly released.
NBC Los Angeles reported that its anchors lost contact with the helicopter crew during the incident. The station later confirmed that NewsChopper4 was the aircraft that had crashed.
Helicopter was covering earlier bus collision
The helicopter had been operating over the area because of a separate crash involving an SUV and a Los Angeles Metro bus.
That collision occurred at about 5 p.m. near Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue, roughly 1.6 kilometers from where the helicopter later came down. The SUV struck the side of the Metro bus, trapping people inside.
Firefighters rescued victims from the wreckage. Two people were killed, and six others were taken to hospitals, according to reports citing Los Angeles fire officials.
The bus was operating on Metro’s Line 166.
Authorities had not determined publicly what caused the SUV to collide with the bus. The investigation into that crash is separate from the investigation into the helicopter accident.
A helicopter with @NBCLA has crashed. This was their feed as it happened. pic.twitter.com/9rHiqA1ZEI
— Traffic Cam Watch (@PCALive) September 16, 2026
Investigation underway
The cause of the helicopter crash was not immediately known.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the aviation accident. Investigators are expected to examine the helicopter wreckage, flight information, and other evidence as they work to establish what happened before the aircraft went down.
Officials have not indicated that the earlier bus collision caused the helicopter crash. The two incidents occurred in the same area but remain separate investigations.
The helicopter crash also prompted a large emergency response because of the fire and the possibility that additional people could be trapped in the wreckage.
News organization confirms aircraft
Several television helicopters had been operating over the San Fernando Valley while crews covered the bus collision.
NBC Los Angeles confirmed that the helicopter involved was NewsChopper4, its aerial news aircraft operated by Angel City Air.
The station’s live coverage captured the aircraft’s final moments before the video feed was interrupted. NBC anchors subsequently reported that they had been unable to reach the crew before confirmation came that the helicopter had crashed.
The crash occurred less than two hours after the fatal bus collision, turning an already serious emergency response into a second major incident.
Investigators have not yet announced a cause for the helicopter crash, and details about the victims and the aircraft’s final flight remain subject to confirmation.
The investigation is continuing.
