NTSB releases report on horror LA NBC helicopter crash that killed reporter, pilot and tourist

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The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary findings Tuesday in the Chatsworth news helicopter crash.

The September NBC LA helicopter crash killed a news reporter, the aircraft’s pilot, and a bystander. It shocked the local news community, who mourned longtime air news crew Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw.

NTSB investigators did not make a definitive conclusion as to the cause of the crash in the report but released specifics about how the aircraft crash unfolded. Live video from the helicopter provided valuable evidence to investigators, and they cited it throughout. 

The report says the chopper departed Whiteman Airport in Pacoima on Sept. 15 to conduct a news-gathering flight for a fatal traffic accident, an SUV-on-bus collision, at around 5:24 p.m.

It flew west about 9 miles to Chatsworth at an average altitude of 1,600 feet to cover the crash, the report says. The heli maneuvered in the vicinity of the crash for about an hour and 24 minutes. During the final minute of flight, the aircraft was only around 800 feet above ground level and had just 6 knots of speed.

Investigators cite live video from the helicopter that showed “ambient helicopter noise that included
sounds from both the main rotor and engine.”

Most of the recording, four minutes and 21 seconds in length, showed normal operation, the report said. But in the last 29 seconds, “the recording captured the helicopter noise as it changed frequency, along with intermittent and continuous horns, consistent with the helicopter’s main rotor high rpm, low
rotor rpm and other aural advisories.”

Investigators cite ADS-B data showing the helicopter “began a rapid descent while turning right” with the last data point showing the aircraft plummeting towards the ground at 38 knots or around 44 miles per hour.

The heli then impacted a metal storage container, and a post-accident fire erupted, the investigation said.

NTSB investigators examined the crash site and observed a 30-foot debris field with the helicopter lyying partially on its right side. Most of the helicopter remained attached to the fuselage, but the fire heavily damaged the aircraft.

“All major components remained attached to the fuselage or remained within the small debris area,” the report says. “The fuselage, in its entirety, was mostly reduced to ash and thermally damaged metal.The tailboom separated but remained next to the fuselage. Both main and tail rotor assemblies remained attached at their respective mounting assemblies.”

A fourth person was also minorly injured, the report said.

A final report could take up to 18 months to be released.

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