Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw: Who Were the Victims of the Helicopter Crash in Los Angeles?
Posted on 09/17/26 at 19:00
- Helicopter NewsChopper4 crashed during coverage
- Three people lost their lives
- Authorities are investigating the cause
A breaking news assignment ended in tragedy in Los Angeles: journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw died when the helicopter they were working aboard crashed.
NewsChopper4 crashed just before 7:00 p.m. on September 15 in Chatsworth while covering a fatal collision between a bus and another vehicle.
The aircraft was owned and operated by Angel City Air and provided aerial coverage services for NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52.
The accident left three people dead: Moreno, Marciniw, and a person who was on the ground. Two other people were hospitalized after the impact.
What Happened to the Helicopter?
“Can you go up?”: were the words of reporter Eliana Moreno to her pilot seconds before the news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles.https://t.co/CONY8XYT4p
— N+ UNIVISION (@nmasunivision) September 16, 2026
The helicopter crashed in a commercial area of Chatsworth, among buildings, vehicles, and other structures, and a fire subsequently broke out at the scene.
The NewsChopper4 signal was lost just before 7:00 p.m., after the aircraft took off at approximately 5:20 p.m. to cover the incident.
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Federal authorities are now investigating what caused the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are participating in the investigation.
As of September 16, authorities had not publicly announced a definitive cause of the accident, so any explanation for what caused the crash remains under investigation.
Who Was Reporter Eliana Moreno, Known as “Eli in the Heli”?
KNBC reporter in Los Angeles and her pilot die while covering a ground accident from the air; the heartbreaking scene when KNBC arrives to cover a tragedy of its own colleagues. The NBC 4 helicopter suffered a severe failure while covering a… pic.twitter.com/hz5Bav80vf
— Klaveec (@klaveec) September 16, 2026
Moreno was an experienced bilingual aerial journalist from Orange County.
In 2010, she graduated from Chapman University with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science. That same year, she joined the Angel City Air helicopter team.
From there, she built a career covering some of Southern California’s major news stories.
For NBC4 and Telemundo 52 audiences, she became a familiar voice from the air. She reported in English and Spanish on fires, police chases, and other emergencies.
On social media, she identified herself as “Eli in the Heli,” a name that became closely associated with her work.
Moreno accumulated 16 years of experience in journalism and aerial coverage.
George Marciniw Had Decades of Experience as a Pilot
🇺🇸| REPORTER ELIANA MORENO DIES AFTER FULFILLING HER DUTY IN THE TRAGIC NBC HELICOPTER ACCIDENT IN LOS ANGELES 🖤
NBC4 reporter lost her life instantly along with her crew members when the aircraft crashed while broadcasting live the… pic.twitter.com/afhIogzOds
— News On Demand (@OnDemand_News) September 16, 2026
George Marciniw was a veteran pilot with more than three decades of experience and had also worked as an instructor for people learning to fly.
Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw began flying together in 2023, and since then, they accumulated hundreds of hours together covering news for Southern California stations.
Their work included wildfires, police chases, and other breaking news, as well as aerial images of different parts of the Los Angeles area.
Their deaths prompted messages of mourning from colleagues and the newsrooms of NBC4 and Telemundo 52, as the investigation into NewsChopper4’s final moments continues.