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Gone quiet · last update Oct 6, 2026 / Los Angeles

The Chatsworth bus crash and the NBC4 news helicopter crash that followed

Overview · reviewed October 21, 2026

On September 15, 2026, an SUV driving the wrong way slammed into a Los Angeles Metro bus in the Chatsworth neighborhood, killing two riders.[1] An NBC4 news helicopter covering the crash went down nearby, killing its pilot, its reporter and a bystander on the ground.[2][3] The driver was charged with murder, and federal investigators are examining why the helicopter crashed.[4][5]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

An NBC4 news helicopter covering the crash went down nearby, killing its pilot, its reporter and a bystander on the ground.[2][3] The driver was charged with murder, and federal investigators are examining why the helicopter crashed.[4][5]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 16%, 79 of 480 tracked outlets (17 left, 47 center, 15 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 1%, 5 of 479 tracked outlets (0 left, 4 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 1%, 5 of 479 tracked outlets (0 left, 4 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 9 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (3 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 5, 20260415 of 4791%
Sep 21, 20260415 of 4791%
Sep 14, 202617471579 of 48016%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Oct 6, 2026 · first reported · Headline from KYMA Yuma

    NTSB releases preliminary report into deadly news helicopter crash in Chatsworth

Background

The bus crash came on the evening of September 15. An SUV sped down the wrong side of a road in Chatsworth, in Los Angeles, ran a red light and struck a Metro bus, killing two passengers and injuring five others, two of them seriously.[1][6] Security footage showed the SUV entering the intersection without any apparent attempt to stop.[6] Prosecutors said the SUV's driver, Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was impaired by drugs and charged her with murder.[4][1] She faces two counts of second-degree murder as well as driving under the influence, and her arraignment was delayed by her medical condition.[7]

An NBC4 news helicopter covering the bus crash went down and burst into flames.[2] It killed the pilot, George Marciniw, 70, the reporter Eliana Moreno and a bystander on the ground.[3][8] The National Transportation Safety Board said video from the helicopter would be critical evidence in its investigation,[5] and the cause of the crash had not been determined.

Hundreds gathered at a vigil for the five people killed,[9] the Los Angeles Rams honored Moreno and Marciniw before a game,[10] and Moreno's fiancé shared a tribute a week later.[11] The crash drew attention to Los Angeles's long history of news coverage from helicopters.[12]

Supporting stories (12)
  1. SUV driver charged with murder in Chatsworth Metro bus crash due in court
  2. Los Angeles news helicopter crash: What we know about victims, investigation
  3. Mass held at Ukrainian church in Los Angeles honoring NBC4 helicopter pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana Moreno
  4. Driver who slammed into LA bus before news helicopter crash to face murder charges, prosecutor says
  5. Video from NBC4 news helicopter is critical evidence in deadly crash investigation: NTSB
  6. New video shows wrong-way driver slam into LA bus at 'freeway speeds'
  7. Chatsworth Metro bus crash: Bailee Rios due in court on murder charges
  8. Coroner provides official cause of death for NBC reporter Eliana Moreno after horrific helicopter crash
  9. Loved ones gather in vigil to honor Chatsworth bus crash, news helicopter crash victims
  10. L.A. Rams honor NBC4 crew ahead of Monday night game
  11. Fiancé remembers NBC4 LA reporter Eliana Moreno one week after Chatsworth, California news helicopter crash
  12. LA news helicopter crashed in birthplace (and, arguably, epicenter) of 'eye-in-the-sky' reporting

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 13 recorded updates

October 2026

  1. NTSB releases initial report on news helicopter crash that killed threeHeadline from KESQ Palm Springs · 5 outlets

September 2026

  1. Fiancé remembers NBC4 LA reporter Eliana Moreno one week after Chatsworth, California news helicopter crashHeadline from ABC 7 New York · 1 outlet
  2. Coroner provides official cause of death for NBC reporter Eliana Moreno after horrific helicopter crashHeadline from New York Post · 1 outlet
  3. L.A. Rams honor NBC4 crew ahead of Monday night gameHeadline from KTLA Los Angeles · 4 outlets
  4. Chatsworth Metro bus crash: Bailee Rios due in court on murder chargesHeadline from Foxla · 4 outlets
  5. Mass held at Ukrainian church in Los Angeles honoring NBC4 helicopter pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana MorenoHeadline from ABC 30 Fresno · 1 outlet
  6. LA news helicopter crashed in birthplace (and, arguably, epicenter) of 'eye-in-the-sky' reportingHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 6 outlets
  7. New video shows wrong-way driver slam into LA bus at 'freeway speeds'Headline from Phl17 · 4 outlets
  8. SUV driver charged with murder in Chatsworth Metro bus crash due in courtHeadline from ABC 7 Los Angeles · 16 outlets
  9. Video from NBC4 news helicopter is critical evidence in deadly crash investigation: NTSBHeadline from KTLA Los Angeles · 2 outlets
  10. Loved ones gather in vigil to honor Chatsworth bus crash, news helicopter crash victimsHeadline from NBC Los Angeles · 5 outlets
  11. Los Angeles news helicopter crash: What we know about victims, investigationHeadline from KTLA Los Angeles · 84 outlets
  12. Driver who slammed into LA bus before news helicopter crash to face murder charges, prosecutor saysHeadline from MyNorthwest · 26 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →