NewsChopper4 was hovering above a deadly traffic collision in Chatsworth when its routine assignment suddenly became an emergency. Reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were covering the September 15 crash between an SUV and a Metro bus when witnesses noticed their helicopter moving strangely. Seconds later, the aircraft descended near commercial buildings on Mason Avenue and burst into flames. Moreno and Marciniw, who had flown together since 2023, were killed. Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29, also died on the ground. Combined with the two people killed in the bus collision, the night’s death toll reached five.
Investigators examined the wreckage, maintenance records, weather conditions, and eyewitness accounts, but one familiar source of evidence appeared to be missing. The 22-year-old AS350 helicopter apparently did not carry a flight data recorder, equipment that aircraft of its size generally are not required to have. That could have left the National Transportation Safety Board with a major gap in the final timeline. Then investigators discovered that the crew’s own camera and audio system had captured something they could not ignore.
NTSB Investigator-in-Charge Fabian Salazar described the broadcast recording as the most important evidence recovered so far. The audio reportedly contains changes in engine speed along with warning tones that may have alerted Marciniw to trouble shortly before the aircraft descended. Investigators have requested a pristine copy for detailed examination at the agency’s recorder laboratory, where specialists may be able to identify when the emergency began. The findings could also affect questions involving aviation insurance, liability, and any attorney reviews that follow, although the agency has not announced a cause. Families facing the loss of a loved one often must navigate an estate, household investment accounts, and mortgage obligations while an investigation continues. Those financial realities may eventually lead to claims or court proceedings, but Angel City Air said it is cooperating with both the NTSB and FAA and will not speculate about what caused the crash. For now, the sounds remain clues—not proof of mechanical failure.
Former NTSB and FAA investigator Jeff Guzzetti said the helicopter’s low hover may have left the pilot with few recovery options if power was suddenly lost. Pilots sometimes describe that combination of low altitude and little forward speed as the “dead man’s curve,” because there may be insufficient height or momentum to respond effectively. Experts who reviewed the available audio said it could be consistent with an engine losing power and a rotor warning activating, but those assessments remain preliminary. Investigators are also seeking surveillance footage from nearby businesses to reconstruct the aircraft’s final movements. Flowers and balloons later appeared outside the NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 studios, as well as at the crash site and Whiteman Airport. The recording may eventually explain those final seconds, but until the NTSB completes its work, the central question remains unanswered.
