Aerial Photographer Eliana Moreno Killed in NBC Los Angeles Helicopter Crash
On Tuesday evening, a helicopter belonging to NBC Los Angeles, known as News Chopper 4, crashed in Chatsworth, located in the San Fernando Valley, resulting in three fatalities. The incident transpired just before 7 p.m. while the crew was reporting on a deadly bus accident that had already resulted in at least two deaths. Aerial photojournalist-reporter Eliana Moreno, 38, and pilot George Marciniw lost their lives in the crash, while Edy Gutiérrez Mejia, a tourist from Guatemala, was killed on the ground when the helicopter collided with a commercial building. The live broadcast feed abruptly ended during the incident. Moreno, a graduate of Chapman University, worked for both NBC 4 and Telemundo 52 and is survived by her fiancé, Robert Barrientos, with whom she was engaged to marry in 2025.
Key facts
- NBC Los Angeles helicopter News Chopper 4 crashed in Chatsworth, San Fernando Valley, on Tuesday evening around 7 p.m.
- Three people died: aerial photojournalist-reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and tourist Edy Gutiérrez Mejia.
- The helicopter was covering a fatal bus collision in Los Angeles that left at least two dead and six injured.
- Moreno, 38, was born in Orange County, California, and graduated from Chapman University in 2010.
- She reported in English for NBC 4 and in Spanish for Telemundo 52.
- NBC 4 described Moreno as a 'seasoned aerial journalist' who covered countless police pursuits.
- Anchor Colleen Williams confirmed the crash during an emotional live broadcast.
- Moreno is survived by her fiancé, Robert Barrientos; they became engaged in 2025.
Entities
Artists
- Eliana Moreno
- George Marciniw
- Edy Gutiérrez Mejia
- Colleen Williams
- Robert Barrientos
Institutions
- NBC Los Angeles
- NBC 4
- Telemundo 52
- Chapman University
- Whiteman Airport Coalition
- NBC News
- NBC
- NBC4
- NewsChopper 4
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Chatsworth
- San Fernando Valley
- Orange County
- California
- Guatemala