The September 15 helicopter crash in Chatsworth claimed three lives: Pilot George Marciniw, Reporter Eliana Moreno, and 29-year-old Guatemalan visitor Edy Fernando Gutiérrez Mejía. Gutiérrez Mejía had arrived in Los Angeles only hours earlier for work, while two people traveling with him were injured. His relatives remembered him as hardworking, playful, and full of life, and later launched a fundraiser to help cover funeral and transportation expenses.
Marciniw and Moreno were aboard a helicopter providing aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 when it crashed near a parking area shortly before 7 p.m. Marciniw had spoken with longtime friend Esteban Jimenez just days earlier about aviation and retirement, making their final conversation especially painful. Authorities said the NTSB would lead the investigation into what caused the crash.
