A veteran Los Angeles television anchor sent to cover a fiery crash in the San Fernando Valley, California, on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, ended up reporting the deaths of his own colleagues — and grieving them on camera.
Robert Kovacik, an anchor and general assignment reporter for NBC4 Los Angeles, was covering a deadly traffic collision in Chatsworth when a helicopter providing aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 came down shortly before 7 p.m. and burst into flames. Three people were killed: aerial photojournalist Eliana Moreno, 38; pilot George Marciniw; and a pedestrian on the ground, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was identified on Wednesday, September 16.
From One Crash Scene to Another
The Los Angeles Fire Department said the day’s first emergency came at 5:03 p.m., when an SUV struck a city bus on Nordhoff Street, killing at least two people and injuring six others. Images posted online showed the SUV buried in the side of the bus as firefighters worked to free trapped passengers. NewsChopper4, operated by the aerial production company Angel City Air, was one of several news aircraft circling the scene.
About 1.5 miles away, the helicopter crashed into a parking lot beside a self-storage facility. Flames consumed at least four cars and two storage containers before crews put the fire out, and more than 50 firefighters responded. Two other people were hospitalized, fire officials said, and their conditions were not immediately released. One appeared to be in shock after witnessing the crash, Kovacik said.
A Reporter Learns the News on Air
Kovacik had been working the bus collision when he noticed black smoke and headed toward it. In his first live report, before anyone knew which station the aircraft belonged to, he told viewers:
“I just saw a colleague of mine from ABC in tears and concern. We don’t know where the chopper is from. We don’t know if it even is a chopper. We don’t know if it is a news chopper,” Kovacik said.
Later, addressing the anchors in the studio, he said: “You think about it ladies, as we deal with this day of dueling tragedies here in Chatsworth, we were just getting ready to come on air for the NBC 4 news at 7:00 tonight and we were there.”
He continued: “Colleen and Carolyn, we are surrounded by this community… members of the media and colleagues from across Southern California, as well as the LAFD and the LAPD and members of the city all coming together tonight.”
His eyes glassy, he signed off: “In Chatsworth, I’m Robert Kovacik. Let’s go back to you.”
Video from the scene showed Kovacik wiping tears from his eyes before sitting inside a police car with an officer a short distance from the wreck. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass hugged him there, and fire officials, other politicians and fellow journalists embraced him as well.
Kovacik has worked for NBC since 2004, according to his LinkedIn, and had reported alongside Moreno and Marciniw for years. A past president of the Los Angeles Press Club, he has won multiple Emmy, Golden Mike, Associated Press and Murrow awards.
For two hours, NBC4 anchors and reporters stayed on the air while telling viewers the station had lost contact with its own crew. At 9 p.m., anchor Colleen Williams told viewers that the aircraft down in Chatsworth was NewsChopper4. “We are coming on the air with heavy hearts tonight because we lost valued friends and colleagues … while on assignment tonight,” she said, visibly emotional, her voice shaking. “We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, process it.” Then the broadcast ended. Coverage resumed about 9:40 p.m.
“We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening,” the stations said in a joint statement. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
What Investigators Know So Far
The cause of the crash has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also involved, and personnel were due to arrive on Wednesday, September 16, to begin their work.
Video streaming from the helicopter captured engine noise and a woman’s voice, believed to be Moreno’s, saying “pull” and then, “What? You can’t pull up?” seconds before the crash. Zoey Tur, a veteran Los Angeles helicopter pilot, has speculated that an engine failure may have been a factor; investigators have not stated a cause.
Remembering the NewsChopper4 Crew
Born in Orange County, Moreno earned a degree in broadcast journalism and political science from Chapman University in 2010 and joined the Angel City Air helicopter team that same year. She reported for several Southern California outlets and became a familiar voice during NBC4 and Telemundo 52 aerial coverage. She had been engaged for less than a year.
Marciniw grew up in Southern California, graduated from Burbank High School in 1974 and had decades of flying behind him. He and Moreno began flying together in 2023 and logged hundreds of hours in the air as a team.
Lynette Romero, co-anchor of NBCLA’s morning newscast, spoke about the pair on NBC’s “TODAY” show on Wednesday, September 16. “They were both doing what they loved so much, and for me, that’s comfort in knowing how happy they were,” Romero said. “They loved breaking news, and they loved being in NewsChopper4.”
