NBC LA Helicopter Model Has Troubling Accident History
The Eurocopter AS 350 B2 involved in the fatal crash has been linked to multiple prior accidents, including one that killed musician Oliver Tree.
The Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Ecureuil helicopter that crashed in Los Angeles, killing NBC reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and pedestrian Edy Gutierrez Mejia, is part of a model line with a history of fatal accidents. Records indicate this particular model has been involved in at least six fatal accidents this year alone.
The doomed aircraft, identified by registration N358TV, was manufactured in 2004 and its registration was valid until December 2028. Its last major airframe repair and alteration occurred in August 2023, involving a door modification, a new equipment list, and a weight and balance revision, according to FAA records.
The AS 350 B2 model has a significant connection to a fatal mid-air collision in Brazil in June 2026, which claimed the lives of musician Oliver Tree and five others. In that incident, a Eurocopter AS 350B2 Ecureuil collided with a Bell 206B JetRanger III carrying Tree and his entourage. The crash resulted in the destruction of at least 20 cars over an electric car lot.
Further back, the Aérospatiale AS 350 Écureuil family, to which the NBC helicopter belongs, has been involved in numerous incidents. According to the Aviation Safety Network, these include a crash in Germany in August 2026, one in China in May 2026, a hunting trip crash in New Zealand in May 2026 that killed two, and a February 2026 crash in Kenya that resulted in six fatalities. Since January 1980, nearly 400 flight incidents involving this helicopter family have been recorded in the U.S.
Video footage from the Los Angeles crash appeared to show signs of engine failure, according to veteran helicopter pilot Zoey Tur. She noted the sound of a low rotor RPM annunciator horn and engine rev down, suggesting an engine failure and a slow response in attempting an autorotation. "No survivors," Tur stated, adding that she had owned two similar helicopters.
Flight data indicates the NBC helicopter circled the area for approximately an hour before its uncontrolled descent. Audio from the final moments captured by Moreno reveals her and the pilot, George Marciniw, discussing their position before an alarm sounds and the helicopter begins to shudder and descend rapidly.
The FAA confirmed it is investigating the crash alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with the NTSB leading the inquiry. An initial FAA report described the incident as occurring "UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES" and noted a post-crash fire.