Aboard the helicopter were aerial journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, both employees of Angel City Air. They were killed in the crash, along with 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground. Moreno had worked in aerial news coverage since 2010, while she and Marciniw had been flying together since 2023. Their deaths deeply affected colleagues at NBC4 and Telemundo 52, who remembered them as dedicated members of the Southern California news community.
The helicopter’s final moments were captured during the live broadcast. The recording includes changes in the sound of the aircraft, an alarm-like warning, and Moreno asking whether the helicopter could pull up shortly before the transmission ends. Investigators have emphasized that the recording and video could provide important evidence, but the exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident and has asked witnesses to provide any available recordings of the helicopter. Investigators plan to conduct detailed analysis of the audio and video while examining the aircraft and other evidence. Until that work is completed, officials have cautioned against drawing conclusions about what caused NewsChopper4 to lose altitude and crash.
