California, United States: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on the September 15, 2026, crash of a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 helicopter near Chatsworth, California, revealing that intermittent and continuous warning horns were recorded during the final 29 seconds of the flight.
The helicopter, registration N358TV, was destroyed in the accident at about 6:55 p.m. PDT while conducting a Title 14 CFR Part 91 electronic news-gathering flight. The pilot, passenger/news reporter and one person on the ground were killed, while one person sustained minor injuries, according to the preliminary report released on 6 October, 2026. The aircraft was operated by Angel City Air.
The flight began at Whiteman Airport (WHP), Los Angeles, at about 5:24 p.m. The helicopter proceeded west for about nine miles at an average altitude of approximately 1,600 ft mean sea level (msl) before reaching Chatsworth to record footage of a recent fatal traffic accident. ADS-B data showed it remained around the accident area for approximately 1 hour and 24 minutes.
During the final minute, the helicopter was flying at about 1,700 ft msl, or 800 ft above ground level, and slowed to approximately 6 knots ground speed. The onboard reporter’s four-minute-21-second video of the traffic accident also captured ambient sounds from the helicopter’s main rotor and engine.
For most of the recording, the helicopter noise remained consistent with normal operations. However, during the last 29 seconds, the sound changed frequency and was accompanied by intermittent and continuous warning horns consistent with main-rotor high-RPM, low-RPM and other aural advisories.
At about 6:55 p.m., ADS-B data showed the helicopter entering a rapid descent while turning right. The final ADS-B point recorded the helicopter at a high rate of descent, travelling at about 38 knots ground speed directly above the accident site. Multiple nearby security cameras captured the helicopter descending rapidly before it struck a metal storage container, followed by a post-crash fire.
Investigators found the helicopter resting partially on its right side beside the container, with a debris field extending about 30 ft around the main wreckage. All major components either remained attached to the fuselage or were within the small debris area. The fuselage was mostly reduced to ash and thermally damaged metal. The tailboom had separated but remained next to the fuselage, while both the main and tail rotor assemblies remained attached at their respective mounting assemblies. The wreckage was subsequently moved to a secure facility for further examination.
The preliminary report records visual meteorological conditions and daylight at the accident site. The nearest observation, at Whiteman Airport (KWHP) about eight nautical miles away at 7 p.m., reported 23°C temperature, 15°C dew point, clear skies, 10-mile visibility, no ceiling and winds with no speed or direction listed in the report. The altimeter setting was 29.91 inches of mercury.
The crash occurred after the helicopter had been covering another fatal incident in Chatsworth earlier that day. At about 5 p.m. on September 15, a 2004 Ford Expedition travelling southbound in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue ran a red light at Nordhoff Street and collided with an eastbound Los Angeles Metro bus. The collision killed two bus passengers and injured six people, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The NTSB preliminary report itself refers to this only as a “recent fatal traffic accident” and does not provide those additional details.
The helicopter crash was reported by the Los Angeles Fire Department at 6:57 p.m. at 9151 N Mason Avenue, where the aircraft came down between commercial buildings. LAFD said 56 firefighters responded; the fire was extinguished, four automobiles and two storage containers were damaged, three people were pronounced dead at the scene and one person was taken to hospital.
The NTSB released the preliminary report on October 6, 2026. The investigation remains ongoing, and the agency has not determined the cause of the crash. The report states that its information is preliminary and subject to change.
