A tragedy occurred in Los Angeles on the evening of Tuesday, September 15. The local NBC4 channel’s helicopter, NewsChopper4, crashed in the Chatsworth neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley while covering a serious traffic accident involving an SUV and a Metro bus. Three people were killed in the crash of the aircraft and a fourth was taken to the hospital.
The helicopter crashed near commercial buildings before catching fire. Several vehicles and equipment stored in the area were also affected by the flames.
NBC4 suddenly loses contact with its team
NewsChopper4 was among the television helicopters present over Chatsworth to cover rescue operations after the initial accident.
While the aircraft was filming the area, NBC4 suddenly lost contact with its team. The channel quickly realized that the helicopter that had just crashed was theirs.
On air, the emotion was immediate. Presenter Colleen Williams explained that the newsroom had just lost contact with the crew: « We have lost contact with our team. »
Moments later, visibly upset, she added: « We are going to take a few minutes to process this, to try to absorb it. » The event coverage was then interrupted for a few minutes.
Three people killed in the crash
Upon arrival, rescuers found a heavily damaged aircraft. Three people were declared dead at the scene. At least one of the victims was on the ground when the helicopter fell. A fourth person was injured and transported to the hospital.
Authorities still need to determine exactly how many people were on board at the time of the crash. The identities of the victims have not been officially released immediately. Several names circulated on social media in the hours following the accident, but authorities had not yet confirmed all identities.
56 firefighters mobilized
The helicopter crash caused a major fire. In total, 56 firefighters were mobilized to control the flames, assist the victims, and secure the area. Several vehicles and storage containers were damaged.
The wreckage of the aircraft was found heavily damaged, notably by the impact and fire. Investigators must now examine the debris to understand what caused the crash. The causes remain unknown for now. An aviation investigation has been opened.
California has already experienced several spectacular helicopter accidents. In October 2025, a helicopter crashed near Los Angeles, in Huntington Beach, causing several injuries.
A few days earlier, a medical helicopter crashed on a highway in Sacramento.
The helicopter was covering another accident that had already caused two deaths
The air crash occurred while rescue teams were already mobilized for a serious traffic accident in Chatsworth. An SUV violently collided with a Metro bus. The collision was particularly severe and several victims had to be extricated. Two people died in this accident and several others were injured.
Local television helicopters then flew over the area to film the rescue work and the consequences of the collision. NewsChopper4 was among the aircraft present in the sky. Only a few hours after the first accident, NBC4’s helicopter crashed in turn.
At least five dead in a few hours in Chatsworth
The two accidents caused at least five deaths within a few hours in the same area: two people in the collision between the SUV and the bus, then three people in the helicopter crash.
Investigators will now try to reconstruct the last seconds of the flight and the trajectory of NewsChopper4. At this stage, no mechanical failure or any other specific cause has been officially established.
The tragedy also recalls the accident that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others in California in January 2020. Five years after his death, the former Lakers star’s accident remains one of the most notable helicopter crashes in the United States.
