Three people have died after a Los Angeles news helicopter crashed in the San Fernando Valley, near the scene of a deadly Metro bus crash in Chatsworth.
The aircraft came down on Tuesday night between two commercial buildings near the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, according to Los Angeles firefighters. It appeared to land on two shipping containers and several parked vehicles, sparking a large fire.
Firefighters tackled the blaze while the circumstances of the Los Angeles news helicopter crash remained unclear. Police and fire crews later erected a canopy over one body after the flames had been extinguished.
Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Branden Silverman said one person had been found outside the helicopter and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“We do have one confirmed patient that seemed to be outside of the helicopter when it crashed,” he said. “That person was declared deceased on scene. … At this point, we have not confirmed how many victims, or how many people, were inside the helicopter.”
Fire officials later confirmed that two other people had also died at the crash site. A fourth victim was taken to a local hospital, although their condition was not known.
The helicopter was so badly damaged that officials had yet to establish which news station it belonged to or determine how many people had been on board.
“The helicopter itself, it’s pretty well destroyed, so we are going to have to go through the rubble and see how many victims there were on board as well as identify the helicopter,” Captain Silverman said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were contacted to assist with the investigation. Los Angeles police are also investigating.
