Robert Kovacik, an anchor and general assignment reporter for NBC4 Los Angeles, was sent to report on a fiery crash in the San Fernando Valley, California, on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Before the night was over, the veteran reporter was telling viewers that his own colleagues had died — and grieving them on camera.
A helicopter providing aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 came down shortly before 7 p.m. and burst into flames as Kovacik covered a deadly traffic collision in Chatsworth. Three people died in that wreck: pilot George Marciniw; aerial photojournalist Eliana Moreno, 38; and a pedestrian on the ground, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, whose identity was released on Wednesday, September 16.
From One Crash Scene to the Next
An SUV struck a city bus on Nordhoff Street at 5:03 p.m., the day’s first emergency, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Two people were killed and six others were injured. The dead were identified as Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, bringing to five the number of named victims from the two crashes.
Police said the SUV’s driver, Bailee Lynn Rios, drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light and struck a vehicle before hitting the bus. One passenger was fully ejected from the bus and another was partially ejected, police said.
Images circulating online captured the SUV lodged deep in the side of the bus while firefighters cut trapped passengers loose. Several news aircraft circled above the scene, among them NewsChopper4, operated by the aerial production company Angel City Air.
The helicopter came down about 1.5 miles away, in a parking lot beside a self-storage facility. More than 50 firefighters responded, and flames consumed at least four cars and two storage containers before crews put the fire out. Fire officials said two other people were hospitalized and that their conditions were not immediately released. One of them appeared to be in shock after witnessing the crash, Kovacik said.
The LAPD arrested Rios and, as of September 16, was holding her on suspicion of murder for her alleged role in the bus crash.
Learning the News Live on Air
Kovacik spotted black smoke while working the bus collision and headed toward it. His first live report went out before anyone knew which station the aircraft belonged to.
“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.
Turning to the anchors in the studio, he said later: “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 went on: “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.”
Glassy-eyed, he closed out the report: “In Chatsworth, I’m Robert Kovacik. Let’s go back to you.”
Footage from the scene caught Kovacik wiping tears from his eyes before an officer sat with him in a police car parked a short distance from the wreck. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass hugged him there, as did fire officials, other politicians and fellow journalists.
He joined NBC in 2004, according to his LinkedIn, and had spent years reporting alongside Moreno and Marciniw. Kovacik is a past president of the Los Angeles Press Club, and multiple Emmy, Golden Mike, Associated Press and Murrow awards line his record.
NBC4 anchors and reporters stayed on the air for two hours, telling viewers the station had lost contact with its own crew as they broadcast. Anchor Colleen Williams told viewers at 9 p.m. that NewsChopper4 was the aircraft down in Chatsworth. “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.” The broadcast then ended, and 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
A cause has not been determined. NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar began the on-scene examination on September 16 of the Eurocopter AS 350 B2 helicopter that crashed September 15 during a news gathering operation in Chatsworth.
A video stream from the helicopter picked up engine noise and a woman’s voice, believed to be Moreno’s, saying “pull” and then, “What? You can’t pull up?” in the seconds before the crash. An engine failure may have been a factor, according to speculation from Zoey Tur, a veteran Los Angeles helicopter pilot. Investigators have not stated a cause.
A Candlelit Vigil in Chatsworth
Family, friends and public officials gathered on Thursday, September 17, at St. John Eudes Catholic Parish in Chatsworth for a candlelit vigil for the five victims. Photographs of the victims were set out alongside flowers and candles.
Remembering the NewsChopper4 Crew
Moreno was born in Orange County and earned a degree in broadcast journalism and political science from Chapman University in 2010, joining the Angel City Air helicopter team that same year. Her voice became a familiar one during NBC4 and Telemundo 52 aerial coverage, and she had reported for several Southern California outlets. She had been engaged for less than a year.
Marciniw grew up in Southern California, graduating from Burbank High School in 1974, and had decades of flight time behind him. Their partnership began in 2023, and the two of them racked up hundreds of hours in the air together.
Lynette Romero, co-anchor of NBCLA’s morning newscast, talked 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.”
