In this still image provided by KABC-TV shows first responders work the scene after a helicopter crashed near a bus crash in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (KABC-TV via AP)
CHATSWORTH, Calif. – Three people were killed and another was taken to a hospital after an NBCLA news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth on Tuesday night.
One of those killed was on the ground, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The other two victims were aboard the helicopter, “LA Live News Tonight” reported.
NBCLA identified the aircraft as NewsChopper4, which had been covering a collision between an SUV and a Metro bus near the crash site.
The two people aboard the helicopter have not been identified.
In this still image provided by KABC-TV shows a helicopter that crashed near a deadly bus crash, in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (KABC-TV via AP)
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The person taken to a hospital was a worker at a nearby warehouse who was in the parking lot when the helicopter went down. The worker 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, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The impact sparked a fire that spread to four vehicles before firefighters extinguished it, LAFD spokesperson Jennifer Middleton said. Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Officials mourn victims of the crash
“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. (With CNS report)
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