NBC Los Angeles’ NewsChopper 4 crashed in Chatsworth on Tuesday evening while covering a fatal bus-and-SUV collision, killing at least three people and leaving one person hospitalized. The Airbus H125 came down near North Mason Avenue in the San Fernando Valley just before 7 p.m., burst into flames on impact and was destroyed in the crash.
Los Angeles fire officials said at least one of the fatalities was on the ground, while the full status of those aboard the helicopter was not immediately clear. NBC Los Angeles confirmed during live coverage that it had lost contact with the aircraft before the crash. The helicopter was operating over an active breaking-news scene, turning the aerial response into part of a wider emergency response to the earlier bus crash, which itself left at least two people dead and several injured.
The wreckage damaged nearby vehicles and storage containers, with reports describing a severe fire at the industrial site. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have opened investigations into the accident.