NBC News Helicopter Crew Killed in Fiery Los Angeles Crash

A livestream from the NBC News helicopter that crashed and burst into flames in Los Angeles captured its final moments as it violently shook and fell from the sky, killing both staffers onboard and a pedestrian on the ground.

The aircraft's low rotor RPM annunciator horn sounded seconds before the helicopter lost altitude, according to the harrowing video that surfaced online. Veteran NBC4 Los Angeles aerial reporter Eliana Moreno was heard on the recording reacting to the alarm with "Uh, oh."

"Pull," Moreno then said, her voice tinged with panic. "You can’t pull up?"

Following her question, the livestream showed violent shaking and the siren wailed again before the feed abruptly cut out, moments before the helicopter crashed near Chatsworth warehouses around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Highly experienced pilot George Marciniw, who had logged more than 14,000 flight hours in the helicopter, and Moreno perished in the crash. A pedestrian on the ground was also killed.

Witnesses described seeing the helicopter descend erratically. "I saw the helicopter – something didn’t look right," Zareh Sevanesian told NBC News. "And I told my wife, ‘That helicopter is not flying right.’"

An explosion from the crash sent residents fleeing as debris rained down. "It was one of the most violent fires I have ever seen," Sevanesian added, recounting how three nearby individuals were "screaming uncontrollably."

The crash also ignited a large fire, engulfing four vehicles. Moreno and Marciniw had been in the air covering a separate bus crash that occurred nearby.

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. However, veteran helicopter pilot Zoey Tur suggested that the available evidence pointed towards an engine failure.