LA News Helicopter Crash Kills 3, Highlights Dangers of Aerial Reporting

A news helicopter crashed live on-air in Los Angeles on Tuesday, killing three people and underscoring the inherent risks of aerial journalism, a practice that largely began in the city. The crash occurred while the helicopter was covering the collision of an SUV and a city bus.

Two people aboard the helicopter, aerial journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, died in the crash. A third person, Edy Gutierrez Mejia, died on the ground. Moreno, known as "Eli in the Heli," had been an aerial journalist since 2010, a role that demands extensive skills in shooting video, editing, and possessing deep knowledge of the city for real-time reporting.

The "Telecopter," as it was initially known, was developed in Los Angeles in 1958 by John Silva, chief engineer for KTLA-TV, who sought a way to beat competitors to breaking news scenes and provide live aerial views to viewers. This innovation revolutionized local television news, offering a public service by providing eyes in the sky during emergencies like wildfires, mudslides, and major incidents. The technology allowed stations to report on events as they unfolded, often guiding the public away from danger.

Since 2000, at least eight fatal crashes involving news helicopters in the U.S. have resulted in 16 deaths. The demanding nature of the job was highlighted by Moreno in a social media post just days before the crash, where she expressed passion for her work despite long hours.

Aerial reporting has a history of danger. In 1977, a KNBC news helicopter crashed due to fuel exhaustion while covering a wildfire, killing the pilot and camera operator. In 1986, a helicopter carrying a radio traffic reporter crashed into the Hudson River. More recently, in 2007, two news helicopters collided and crashed while covering a police chase, killing all four people on board. The National Transportation Safety Board attributed that crash partly to pilots being distracted by ground events.

Journalists and pilots in the field adhere to strict protocols to mitigate risks. In the aftermath of the 2007 Phoenix crash, news stations agreed to share a single helicopter. Companies like Helicopters Inc. instruct pilots to maintain an altitude of at least 500 feet to allow for greater reaction time in case of mechanical issues.

Moreno and Marciniw were recognized as a highly effective team, known as "the eyes and ears in the sky" for NBCLA and Telemundo 52, logging hundreds of hours together. Marciniw was a respected pilot with over 30 years of experience. Moreno, a graduate of Chapman University, emphasized the unique perspective aerial reporting offered, particularly for covering significant events like Southern California's brush fires, showing the progression of the fire and potential threats to homes.