Disturbing surveillance video captured the moment an NBC Los Angeles news helicopter plunged toward the ground, killing both the reporter and pilot aboard.
NewsChopper4 was flying above an industrial area near Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue at about 7 p.m. Tuesday. Reporter Eliana Moreno was recording aerial images of a deadly bus crash nearby when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude.
Footage from a nearby building shows the helicopter dropping almost vertically before striking the ground, in video obtained by NBC Los Angeles.
Roughly 20 seconds after the helicopter hit the parking lot of a self-storage facility, smoke began rising from behind a container and grew progressively thicker.
By approximately 50 seconds after the crash, flames had erupted, triggering a major blaze that destroyed several vehicles and two storage containers.
Moreno, 38, and pilot George Marciniw, 70, died at the scene. Moreno’s family shared an emotional tribute on Thursday. Edy Gutierrez Mejia, a 29-year-old tourist from Guatemala, was also killed on the ground.
Federal investigators are expected to study the surveillance video closely as they seek to establish why the Eurocopter AS350B2 suddenly plunged.
NBC News aviation analyst Jeff Guzzetti said the recording could provide important information to investigators.
“I think the video will be helpful to investigators,” Guzzetti told the network. “I see a high rate of descent. That is going to be helpful for investigators.”
Disturbing surveillance video captures the NBC Los Angeles helicopter plunging to the ground Tuesday night
Reporter Eliana Moreno, 38, and pilot George Marciniw, 70, were aboard the helicopter as it crashed while covering a deadly bus collision
The crash ignited a large fire that destroyed nearby vehicles and two storage containers
The National Transportation Safety Board has said its investigators are concentrating in part on video Moreno recorded from inside the helicopter.
The footage shows the bus crash from above, including the wrecked SUV that struck the city bus in a T-bone collision. The helicopter’s blades and engine can be heard in the background.
The engine sound then appears to wind down, followed by a warning horn. Investigators believe it may have alerted the pilot that the main rotor speed had fallen dangerously low.
At that moment, Moreno can be heard softly saying, “Uh oh.”
As the camera tilts downward and begins shaking, Moreno asks Marciniw, “You can’t pull up?”
The recording has become a central piece of the NTSB’s investigation into the Eurocopter AS350B2 crash. Investigator in Charge Fabian Salazar discussed its significance during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
“The video that was actually taken while the reporter was doing live coverage, that video is probably the most important evidence that we have discovered so far,” Salazar said.
‘In that recording, we are clearly hearing sounds that are consistent with the engine changing its speed and we’re also hearing tones that are being generated that are likely advisories to the pilot, so it’s important that we get that recording to our lab, so that they can be downloaded and we can get to that factual evidence that way.’
The NTSB investigation will gather as much data from the wreckage site as possible and will comb through footage from the crash
Investigators will also gather as much data from the wreckage site as possible, Salazar said, as he urged anyone with information about the crash to reach out to the agency.
Once that portion of the investigation is complete, the helicopter will be moved to a secure facility so the agency could continue its examination and try to pull additional data from the wreckage.
The chopper’s maintenance logbooks and the weather will also be part of the investigation, and authorities will work to obtain surveillance footage from buildings near the crash scene to get a full picture of the sequence of events.
A preliminary report is expected to be completed in 30 days, but a final report listing probable cause can take up to 18 months to complete.
In the meantime, Moreno’s family asked that the public keep her, Marciniw, Mejia and the victims of the fatal bus crash in their prayers.
‘Since she was 11 years old, Eliana dreamed of becoming a news reporter,’ the family said in a statement. ‘Through hard work and courage, she turned that dream into a reality. So much of that journey was made possible by all of you who welcomed her into your homes and onto your screens. Your support meant more to her than you may ever know.
‘We find comfort in knowing that Eliana left this world doing the very thing she loved, pursuing the passion she carried with her since she was a little girl.’
Moreno’s family said in a statement on Thursday that she had dreamed of being a reporter since she was just 11 years old
The statement was signed by her parents, siblings, fiance Robert Barrientos (pictured with Moreno), her stepsons and their beloved dogs
‘On behalf of her parents, siblings, fiancé, stepsons and beloved dogs, we want to thank everyone for the overwhelming love you have shown our beautiful Eliana,’ the family continued.
‘We are infinitely proud of her and feel incredibly blessed to have had the privilege of loving her and calling her ours.
‘Please continue to keep Eliana, her pilot George, Edy Gutierrez Mejia and the souls lost in the bus collision in your thoughts and prayers,’ the family then pleaded. ‘Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’
Moreno’s brother, Johan, also shared a statement on X, saying in part: ‘RIP sis, I will love you to the end of time.
‘My family and I just went through the worst day of our lives,’ he noted. ‘We appreciate all the support and love. Thank you for your well wishes and understanding.’
