“You Can’t Pull Up?” Chilling Video Shows LA News Helicopter Falling Out Of The Sky, Killing 3

Published Sep 16, 2026, 5:21 PM EDT Jack comes to Simple Flying with a lifelong interest in all things aviation. He holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, and is a certified private and remote pilot. Beyond these experiences, Jack previously worked for a corporate flight department where he gained first-hand experience in the world of business aviation. Currently, Jack works in the professional services industry and continues to build his flight hours outside of work. A news helicopter covering a deadly traffic collision in Los Angeles crashed Tuesday evening, killing KNBC-TV (NBC 4) aerial journalist Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and a person on the ground. The Eurocopter AS350 B2, operated by Angel City Air for NBC 4 and Telemundo 52, went down in a commercial area of Chatsworth shortly before 7:00 PM local time, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department and NBC Los Angeles. Two other people were hospitalized. Video recorded from the helicopter provides a disturbing account of its final moments. As the aircraft begins losing altitude, several alarms can be heard, followed by Moreno asking, “You can’t pull up?” The recording ends shortly after that. The footage does not show what triggered the emergency, and investigators have not determined whether the alarms were linked to an engine problem or another system failure. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also involved. What The Final Video Shows Credit: Bryan Sierra12 | Shutterstock The footage was being transmitted as the helicopter provided aerial coverage of a fatal collision involving a Metro bus and an SUV. The camera initially shows the scene below before the aircraft begins to descend. As the situation develops, alarms become audible, and the helicopter appears to lose altitude rapidly. The video and audio may be disturbing to some. The final exchange has drawn particular attention because Moreno's question suggests the crew recognized a serious loss of aircraft performance. However, the recording alone cannot establish what the pilot was experiencing or which systems were affected. Investigators will need to examine the helicopter's wreckage, maintenance history, flight data, and other available evidence before identifying a cause. Witnesses Saw The Helicopter Losing Altitude Credit: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock People on the ground described unusual movement immediately before the crash. One witness told NBC Los Angeles that the helicopter appeared to be swaying before gradually descending. He said it kept dropping until he lost sight of it behind nearby buildings. Moments later, he saw smoke and fire. The helicopter crashed in a parking area between commercial buildings on North Mason Avenue, striking storage containers and setting nearby vehicles on fire. Firefighters contained the blaze, and the surrounding buildings were not struck. The location was only a short distance from the earlier bus collision that Moreno and Marciniw had been covering. Moreno and Marciniw were the only people aboard the helicopter. NBC Los Angeles said they had worked together since 2023 and had logged hundreds of hours flying together while covering wildfires, police pursuits, and other breaking news across Southern California. Investigators Now Face The Central Question Credit: 1 Andrew Thomas 1 | Shutterstock The NTSB has confirmed that it is investigating the crash, with investigators examining the wreckage and circumstances surrounding the final flight. At this stage, neither agency has identified a preliminary cause. The final video could become an important piece of the investigation because it captures the aircraft's behavior immediately before the crash, including the audible alarms and the crew's exchange. Investigators can compare those sounds with the helicopter's systems, maintenance records, operating history, and physical evidence from the wreckage. They will also examine the flight path, weather conditions, communications, and the sequence of events leading up to the rapid descent. Moreno's question is striking because it captures the crew confronting an apparent loss of altitude in real time. It does not, however, establish whether the aircraft could not climb because of an engine problem, a loss of rotor performance, a control issue, or another circumstance. Determining what the crew knew the aircraft was capable of doing, and when the underlying problem began, will require evidence beyond the recording. The investigation will therefore focus on reconstructing the final minutes rather than interpreting a single moment. The NTSB's findings could ultimately explain why the aircraft entered the descent, whether an identifiable mechanical or operational issue initiated it, and whether anything could have prevented the crash. Until that work is completed, the chilling footage documents the final moments of the flight, but it does not yet explain them.