NBC Helicopter Crash: Investigators Focus on In-Flight Video
NTSB calls recording from doomed NewsChopper4 the agency's 'most important evidence' as probe into fatal Chatsworth crash continues.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators have identified the in-flight video recorded by a doomed NBC4 news helicopter as their most crucial piece of evidence in determining the cause of the fatal crash. The footage, captured in the final moments before the helicopter went down, is undergoing analysis at the NTSB laboratory.
"The video that was actually taken while the reporter was doing live coverage, that video is probably the most important evidence that we have discovered so far," said NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar during a press conference Wednesday.
The Airbus AS350 B2, known as NewsChopper4, crashed shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. Onboard were reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, both of whom were killed in the incident. The helicopter was hovering over the scene of a separate fatal collision between an SUV and a Metro bus when it crashed between two commercial buildings at 9151 Mason Ave.
A third victim, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, was on the ground and also died as a result of the crash. Two other individuals on the ground sustained injuries, one requiring hospitalization for an apparent panic attack, and another in grave condition.
The video recording reportedly shows the camera zooming out as multiple alarms sound and the helicopter begins its descent. Moreno can be heard asking, "You can't pull up?" before the video abruptly cuts to black.
Salazar stated that the recording clearly captured sounds consistent with changes in the engine's speed, as well as audible tones likely serving as advisories to the pilot. "In that recording, we are clearly hearing sounds that are consistent with the engine changing its speed, and we’re also hearing tones that are being generated that are likely advisories to the pilot," Salazar said.
Investigators believe the helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder, placing further emphasis on the video recording for reconstructing the final moments of the flight. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti suggested that the alarm heard in the clip resembles a low-rotor-RPM warning, indicating the main rotor was not spinning sufficiently fast to maintain flight. "It just has all the earmarks of a potential loss of engine power and a dangerous decrease in the main rotor speed," Guzzetti noted.
The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are meticulously examining the helicopter wreckage, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing surveillance footage from nearby buildings. Maintenance logbooks, weather conditions at the time of the crash, and the pilot's training records are also under scrutiny.
The wreckage will be transported to a secure facility for further in-depth examination.
The crash also ignited a fire that damaged four vehicles and two storage containers.
Moreno and Marciniw were employees of Angel City Air, the company that operated the helicopter and provided aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52.
Salazar indicated that a preliminary report detailing the findings is anticipated in approximately 30 days, with a comprehensive final report that identifies the probable cause potentially taking up to 18 months to complete.