Official cause of death revealed for NBC helicopter pilot George Marciniw in horrific crash

The cause of death for the pilot in the NBC news helicopter crash has been revealed.

George Marciniw, 70, died of blunt force trauma after the aircraft fell from the sky and crashed near a Chatsworth warehouse last Tuesday, according to the LA County Medical Examiner.

Passenger Eliana Moreno’s death was also ruled as a result of blunt force trauma but also included conditions such as “thermal injuries and inhalation of products of combustion.” The pair were covering a deadly SUV and Metro bus collision when their helicopter went down.

Both of their deaths were ruled an accident. A third victim, bystander 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, died of blunt head trauma.

The cause of the helicopter crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

An NTSB investigator called the aircraft’s live news video the “most important evidence” they had discovered so far.

“The video that was actually taken while the reporter was doing live coverage, that video is probably the most important evidence that we have discovered so far,” NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar said at a press conference last week.

Salazar said the NTSB wants a “pristine copy” of the recording so it can be subjected to a sound-spectrum analysis at the agency’s laboratory.

“In that recording, we are clearly hearing sounds that are consistent with the engine changing its speed, and we’re also hearing tones that are being generated that are likely advisories to the pilot,” Salazar said at the press conference.

The tragic Metro bus collision the newsgathering pair were covering claimed the lives of Gage Weida, 31, and father of four Daniel Castillo, 46. The medical examiner ruled both died from “multiple blunt traumatic injuries.”

The SUV driver in the collision, Bailee Rios, 36, missed her arraignment on criminal charges connected to the crash for the third time on Monday. Her representation says she has not been medically able to attend her arraignment due to injuries from he crash.

Rios is being held in lieu of $4.1 million bail, and faces life in prison if convicted on the charges.

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