Third Victim Identified in Fatal Los Angeles Helicopter Crash

Authorities have identified the third victim of a fatal news helicopter crash in Los Angeles as Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29, who was on the ground when News Chopper 4 went down in a Chatsworth parking lot on Tuesday evening. Mejia, who had been in Los Angeles for only two days, was killed when the helicopter crashed and caught fire around 7 p.m. while reporter Eliana "Eli" Moreno, 38, was covering a bus collision.

Moreno, a veteran aerial reporter for NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo, and the helicopter's pilot, George Marciniw, 70, were also killed in the incident. Mejia, also known as Pichi, had been in the area to pick up a car to take back to his hometown of Cuilapa, Guatemala. His family is now working to arrange for his remains to be sent back to Guatemala.

Moreno had been flying in news helicopters since 2010, covering a variety of incidents including police pursuits, wildfires, and major local events. She studied broadcast journalism and political science at Chapman University before working at KCAL 9 and KCBS 2, eventually joining NBC and flying aboard NewsChopper4 around 2018 or 2019. Marciniw was an experienced pilot with over 14,000 flight hours.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the crash and is focusing on live footage recorded by the helicopter's camera as it went down. Investigator in Charge Fabian Salazar stated that the video is considered crucial evidence, with sounds consistent with engine changes and potential pilot advisories audible in the recording. The NTSB plans to analyze the footage in their lab to extract detailed data.

Aviation experts suggest the crash may have resulted from mechanical failure in the 22-year-old Eurocopter AS350B2, a model commonly used by news and law enforcement agencies. Former news helicopter pilot Zoey Tur noted that the audio captured sounds of the engine winding down, leading to a loss of power to the rotor blades and a warning horn for low rotor RPM, a situation exacerbated by the helicopter's low altitude hover. This maneuver, often necessary for news coverage, puts pilots in a precarious position if engine trouble occurs, according to former NTSB investigator Jeff Guzzetti.

Mayor Karen Bass and other officials have expressed their condolences. The NTSB will continue to gather data from the wreckage, examine maintenance logs, and review weather reports. Surveillance footage from nearby buildings is also being sought. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, with a final report potentially taking up to 18 months.