Story perspectives

KNBC Helicopter Crash Kills Three in Chatsworth

By Drooid · Oct 8, 2026, 1:23 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

KNBC Helicopter Crash

U.S. investigators said a KNBC helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, killing three.
Reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and bystander Edy Gutierrez Mejia died.
The Airbus AS-350 B2 left Whiteman Airport on Sept. 15, 2026, hovered 800 feet, slowed to 6 knots, and video recorded rotor noise.
ADS-B data recorded a right-turn descent at 38 knots, ending with impact on a container and a 30-foot debris field.

Summary

LAFD Extinguishes Blaze

The Los Angeles Fire Department deployed 56 firefighters who extinguished the blaze and secured the crash site.
Pilot George Marciniw, a veteran aviator who taught aspiring pilots, was remembered as kind and humble.
The National Transportation Safety Board transferred the helicopter wreckage to a secure facility in Arizona for detailed examination.
Angel City Air operated the aircraft and contracts with NBC4 Los Angeles for news coverage.

History

Historical Context

The NTSB traces its roots to the 1926 Air Commerce Act and was created as an independent agency on April 1 1967 after Congress bundled transportation functions in the DOT. Since then it has investigated over 140,000 aviation incidents and, following its 1975 autonomy from the FAA, it now leads the probe of the 2026 Los Angeles helicopter crash.

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KNBC Helicopter Crash

U.S. investigators said a KNBC helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, killing three.
Reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and bystander Edy Gutierrez Mejia died.
The Airbus AS-350 B2 left Whiteman Airport on Sept. 15, 2026, hovered 800 feet, slowed to 6 knots, and video recorded rotor noise.
ADS-B data recorded a right-turn descent at 38 knots, ending with impact on a container and a 30-foot debris field.

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