Three people were killed and one person was rushed to a hospital from the crash of a helicopter from NBCLA in Chatsworth Tuesday evening.
One of the people killed was on the ground, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The other two people killed were in the helicopter, “LA Live News Tonight” reported.
NBCLA reported that the helicopter was NewsChopper4 which was covering the collision between an SUV and Metro bus near the site of the helicopter crash that left three dead.
The people aboard the helicopter have not been identified.
The person taken to a hospital was a worker at a warehouse near the site of the helicopter crash who was in the parking lot at the time of the crash, who was “shaken up more emotionally than physically,” according to “LA Live News Tonight.”
The crash occurred just before 7 p.m. between two commercial buildings at 9151 Mason Ave., near Nordhoff Street, the LAFD reported.
The helicopter crash ignited a fire exposing four vehicles, said Jennifer Middleton of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire was extinguished.
Four automobiles and two storage containers were damaged by the fire, Middleton said.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation of the crash, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.
“I’m absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement shared on social media. “My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash.
“I’m grateful to the City teams who responded so quickly. Please stay clear of the area as public safety officials remain on scene.”
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the crash left her “shocked.”
“I am shocked and deeply saddened by today’s tragic helicopter crash involving members of the NBC4 family,” Barger said. “My heart goes out to everyone affected by this devastating loss, especially the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives. I extend my deepest condolences to the entire NBC4 community during this incredibly difficult time.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked the first responders for “working tirelessly throughout the night.”
“Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family,” Newsom said. “Thank you to the first responders working tirelessly tonight.”
The crash was the second fatal crash involving a NBCLA helicopter. On Aug. 1, 1977, a Bell 206 news helicopter piloted by Francis Gary Powers ran out of fuel and crashed into a field near Encino, killing Powers and the aircraft’s only passenger, cameraman George Spears.
Powers was best known as the pilot of a U-2 spy plane shot down while flying a secret CIA spying mission over the Soviet Union in 1960. Powers was captured and sentenced to 10 years in a Soviet prison for espionage. He served 21 months of his sentence before being released in a prisoner swap in 1962.