Low Altitude, High Risk: NBC4 Helicopter Crash in Los Angeles
TL;DR
An NBC4 helicopter covering a Chatsworth bus crash crashed in Los Angeles, killing two reporters and a bystander. Video and audio from the final moments show the chopper hovering at low altitude with an alarm likely signaling a loss of rotor RPM or hydraulic failure, making an autorotation difficult. Experts note the crew was in a dangerous height–velocity zone, and while the AS350 B2 is a common, reliable news helicopter, engine or rotor problems can lead to a catastrophic loss of control. The NTSB is examining the recordings as crucial evidence to determine the cause.
- NBC4 chopper’s final moments: A blaring alarm, loss of altitude and panic. Why did it crash? Los Angeles Times
- Bailee Rios, suspect in deadly Metro bus crash in Chatsworth, misses court date; LA DA to provide update ABC7 Los Angeles
- ‘She died doing what she loved’: Friends mourn KNBC aerial reporter Eliana Moreno Los Angeles Daily News
- LA County prosecutors and other officials to provide updates on deadly Chatsworth bus crash CBS News
- Tustin native Eliana Moreno remembered for her homegrown roots NBC Los Angeles
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