Los Angeles, United States: Three people were killed and another was taken to hospital after an NBC4 news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, shortly before 7 p.m. local time on 15 September 2026. The helicopter was conducting aerial television coverage of a separate deadly Metro bus-SUV crash nearby when it went down in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). NBC Los Angeles subsequently identified the aircraft as its NewsChopper4.
The helicopter crashed in a commercial area between buildings, with the impact and resulting fire damaging four vehicles and two large storage containers. More than 50 firefighters responded and contained the fire Tuesday evening. LAFD officials said the aircraft was “pretty well destroyed.” According to reports two of the three deceased victims were aboard the aircraft, while the third fatality was a bystander in the parking lot. Additionally, one other person was transported to a local hospital, though it is still unclear if they were inside the chopper or on the ground.
Authorities initially said they were working to determine exactly how many people had been aboard the helicopter because of the extent of the wreckage. LAFD Capt. Branden Silverman said, “We’re trying to determine how many patients were inside the helicopter.”
The helicopter had been flying as part of news coverage of an earlier crash involving an SUV and a Los Angeles Metro bus. That accident killed two people and injured six others, prompting several news helicopters to operate in the area. The purpose of the crashed helicopter’s flight was therefore aerial news gathering rather than passenger transportation. No confirmed origin or destination for the helicopter has been reported because it was operating on a news assignment.
The helicopter model and registration have not been officially confirmed. Likewise, authorities have not publicly released the confirmed identities of the three people killed, the pilot’s identity or a definitive passenger/occupant count.
The cause of the helicopter crash remains unknown. There has been no official finding linking the accident to mechanical failure, weather, pilot error or any other specific factor. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash.
The latest confirmed casualty figures are three fatalities and one person hospitalized. The number of people actually aboard the helicopter at the moment of impact remains subject to official confirmation, while the identities of the deceased and injured person have not been formally released in the latest reports.
