A night of devastation in Chatsworth, which began with a deadly Metro bus collision, culminated in the fiery crash of an NBC4 helicopter, claiming the lives of two journalists and, on the ground, a bystander. The scene Tuesday evening was a mixture of confusion and chaos, as first responders fanned out across two catastrophes while television news teams desperately sought information about their colleagues. The crashes together claimed five lives and left others injured.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are working to determine the exact cause of the news helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350 B2, going down around 7 p.m. NTSB Investigator Fabian Salazar confirmed that officials are sifting through wreckage, maintenance logbooks, security footage, weather reports, and witness interviews, alongside reviewing the pilot’s training. However, the most critical information recovered so far is audio captured from the helicopter during a live broadcast in the final moments before it crashed.
The footage, taken from an aerial view of the bus collision, records the distinct whirl of the helicopter in the background. Suddenly, the engine’s motor winds down, followed by a blaring horn. This horn likely served as a warning to the pilot that the main rotor speed had dropped too low or that the helicopter had lost hydraulics. In response to the alarming noise, reporter Eliana Moreno is heard quietly saying "uh oh." As the camera angle begins to descend rapidly, Moreno then asks, "You can’t pull up?" before the video cuts out. Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground, were killed in the crash. Salazar described the video as "probably the most important piece of evidence we have recovered so far."
Aviation experts have weighed in on what the dramatic recording might signify. Zoey Tur, a veteran news helicopter pilot familiar with the Eurocopter AS350 B2, said the microphone picked up the sound of the engine shutting down. Tur explained that the engine winding down reduces power to the rotor blades, which is then followed by the warning horn for low rotor RPM, even noting that the blade slap could be heard slowing. However, Tur also pointed out that the subsequent fire indicated there was still fuel onboard, suggesting the engines likely shut down for another reason than simply running out.
The situation described in the audio raises questions about emergency maneuvers. Jack Cress, a former helicopter pilot for the U.S. Marine Corps and an instructor at USC’s Aviation Safety and Security Program, detailed a safety maneuver known as autorotation. This maneuver allows a pilot to gain enough momentum and upward airflow on the rotor blades to increase their rotation, helping to control the aircraft during descent even if the engine isn't providing power. Cress compared it to an airplane gliding, using the force on its wings. However, Cress noted that the helicopter appeared to be hovering at a low altitude, which would make executing autorotation extremely difficult. He referred to this as being in "the worst part of the height-velocity curve," a chart pilots use for safe flight conditions.
Helicopter pilots are trained to avoid such conditions, as a lack of altitude and forward momentum leaves little recourse during engine trouble. Yet, for news and police choppers, hovering at low altitude is a common practice. Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and FAA investigator and a fellow instructor at USC, further described these conditions as a "dead man’s curve" for helicopter pilots, calling it "the worst place to be if you have a problem."
The 22-year-old helicopter was owned by Tiny Bubbles Aviation Inc., a holding company with a business address listed at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, according to state and FAA records. The company owns at least six aircraft, including five helicopters. Lawrence Welk III, listed in public records as an agent of Tiny Bubbles Aviation and president of Welk Aviation—a company that operates news helicopters for KNBC and KTLA—confirmed his company was working with investigators but declined to comment on the incident itself. Welk later issued a statement through Angel City Air Operation, a division of Welk Aviation, expressing devastation for the loss of their team members and the bystander, confirming full cooperation with the NTSB and FAA, and requesting privacy for the grieving families and team.
The crash hit the NBC4 newsroom particularly hard. After initially losing contact with their chopper crew, anchor Colleen Williams confirmed on air around 9 p.m. that the team had crashed. The helicopter went down between two commercial buildings in the 9100 block of Mason Avenue, colliding with a pair of truck cargo containers. NBC morning anchor Lynette Romero, flanked by her co-anchors, told viewers that the journalists "were sacrificing their lives in service of their community," driven by dedication "until the very end doing the job they loved so much."
The devastating helicopter crash was one part of a tragic night. The initial Metro bus collision that the helicopter was covering also led to significant casualties and an ongoing investigation. On Wednesday, authorities announced the arrest of Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, on suspicion of murder in connection with the bus crash. Police stated Rios was driving a gray 2004 Ford Expedition around 5 p.m. Tuesday, moving southbound in the northbound lanes on De Soto Avenue when she allegedly ran a red light at Nordhoff Street. Her SUV narrowly avoided one car before colliding with the side of the Metro Line 166 bus, ejecting one passenger and partially ejecting another. Rios is currently held on $4 million bail. The investigations into both incidents continue.