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Three dead after LA news helicopter crashes while covering deadly bus collision
Confirmed
In Short: At least three people were killed after a news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, near the scene of a fatal bus collision that left two people dead, authorities said. The crash occurred around 7 p.m.
The helicopter, which was providing aerial coverage of the earlier bus collision, was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. NBC Los Angeles confirmed that the helicopter that crashed was its NewsChopper. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 issued a statement expressing their condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives. The crash left one person nearby suffering an apparent panic attack, who was taken to the hospital.
The tragic events of Tuesday evening have underscored the risks associated with covering breaking news from the air. The Los Angeles Fire Department and other emergency services are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred while multiple news helicopters and reporters were at the scene of the earlier fatal collision.
What's confirmed
- At least three people were killed after a news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening near the scene of an earlier fatal bus collision that left two people dead, authorities said, in what LA Mayor Karen Bass called a tragic day for the city.
What's still developing
- "This is a heartbreaking night for our city," Bass said at a somber news conference late Tuesday.
- That crash left two people dead and several others injured, authorities said.
- "We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process and to regroup," NBC4 news anchor Colleen Williams said during the live broadcast.
- "Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight's devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family," Newsom said.
- An alert-like sound can be heard shortly before the helicopter begins to descend, after which the live broadcast cuts off.
- A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department said the helicopter crashed into a car park, striking some parked vehicles.