Three Dead in Los Angeles Helicopter Crash Near Scene of Fatal Bus Wreck
An NBC news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, killing two onboard and one pedestrian, just hours after a separate bus collision claimed two lives.
A news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, killing three people and occurring near the site of a separate fatal bus collision.
The NBC news helicopter went down in a parking lot at the intersection of Northoff Street and DeSoto Avenue in Chatsworth around 7 p.m. local time. The crash ignited a large blaze that threatened nearby vehicles. Firefighters confirmed three fatalities at the scene: the two individuals aboard the helicopter and one person on the ground. Another individual was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition.
The crash occurred in the vicinity of a deadly bus accident that happened earlier in the evening. In that incident, an SUV collided with a Metro bus, resulting in two fatalities and multiple injuries. Authorities are investigating the possibility that one of the vehicles ran a red light.
When firefighters extinguished the blaze from the helicopter crash, they observed a canopy erected over at least one body.
Colleen Williams, a longtime NBC 4 Los Angeles anchor, confirmed the aircraft was a news helicopter and expressed that the station had lost contact with its crew. The helicopter was reportedly gathering aerial footage of the bus crash at the time of its own incident.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged in the helicopter crash fire. LAFD Captain Branden Silverman described the helicopter as "pretty well destroyed."
Images from the bus crash scene showed the front of an SUV embedded in the side of the Metro bus, with a large hole visible in the bus after the SUV was removed. An LA Urban Search and Rescue Team was involved in extricating individuals from the damaged bus, with one person sustaining what crews described as "crushing" injuries.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated she was "absolutely devastated by the loss of life" and offered her condolences to the families of the victims from both incidents. She thanked the city teams who responded swiftly and urged the public to avoid the area.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to investigate the helicopter crash.