News helicopter crash in Los Angeles kills at least three
An NBC4 news helicopter crashed and caught fire in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles, killing at least three people. The crash occurred near the scene of an earlier bus collision that had killed two people.
A television news helicopter crashed and burst into flames on Wednesday evening in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, killing at least three people, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The NBC4 helicopter went down just before 7pm local time near a one-storey commercial building, a fact confirmed live on air by an NBC4 anchor during a broadcast. Capt Branden Silverman, a fire department spokesperson, told reporters at a news conference that one victim was found in a parking lot beside the commercial building, while it remained unclear whether the other two people killed were on the ground or inside the aircraft. One additional person was taken to hospital, though their condition has not been disclosed.
Silverman described the helicopter as "pretty well destroyed," adding that crews were still sorting through the wreckage to determine exactly how many people had been on board. At least four vehicles and two storage containers on the ground also caught fire, though the flames were extinguished relatively quickly. More than 50 firefighters responded to the scene.
The news helicopter had been dispatched to cover a separate incident: about two hours earlier and roughly 1.5 miles away, an SUV had slammed at speed into the middle of a city transit bus, killing at least two people and injuring six others. Images circulated online showed half of the SUV lodged into the side of the bus.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the cause of the helicopter crash.
