NBC Anchor Emotional After Colleagues Die in LA Helicopter Crash

A veteran NBC anchor became visibly distraught on Tuesday evening after learning that two of his colleagues, NBC reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, had died in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles’ Chatsworth neighborhood. The helicopter was covering a bus collision at the time.

Robert Kovacik, an NBC reporter who has worked with the station since 2004, was at the scene and was seen in tears before sitting in a police car with an officer. Footage captured him rubbing his eyes as he reported from the vicinity of the crash.

Moreno, 38, and Marciniw had been working together since 2023, flying "hundreds of hours" together, according to NBC. Marciniw, a pilot with decades of experience, graduated from Burbank High School in 1974. Moreno had become engaged less than a year before her death.

Harrowing live-stream video has surfaced online that appears to show the moments before the crash, with whirring noises audible from the helicopter's engine. A woman, believed to be Moreno, can be heard telling the pilot to "pull" and then asking, "What? You can’t pull up?" The footage reportedly shakes seconds later.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials offered comfort to Kovacik at the scene.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Aviation expert Zoey Tur speculated that an engine failure may have occurred.

NBC4 and Telemundo 52 released a joint statement: "We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives."

A third victim, a pedestrian, was also killed in the crash. Their identity has not yet been released. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation.