NBC Mourns Two Of Its Own After Fatal Los Angeles Helicopter Crash

The NBC family is mourning a devastating loss after two of its own were killed in a fatal helicopter crash in Los Angeles.

NBC Los Angeles anchor Eliana Moreno and NewsChopper 4 pilot George Marciniw were among three people identified as victims following the crash on the night of September 15.

The tragedy was reported on the morning broadcast of TODAY, where Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin shared the heartbreaking news with viewers.

“It’s A Sad Story This Morning”

“It’s a sad story this morning,” Savannah Guthrie said as she opened the coverage on TODAY.

Guthrie and co-anchor Craig Melvin reported on the crash before speaking with Lynette Romero, a co-anchor on NBC Los Angeles’ early morning broadcast.

The conversation quickly became an emotional tribute to two colleagues who had spent their careers reporting the news in their hometown.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, Moreno and Marciniw had been covering a fatal bus crash in the Chatsworth neighborhood when their helicopter went down.

Both were killed in the crash, along with a third person whose identity had not yet been released.

Two Colleagues, One Devastating Loss

Moreno was a bilingual reporter who worked for both NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52.

Marciniw, meanwhile, identified himself as a “news pilot” and had decades of flying experience.

Together, they were familiar faces and voices for viewers across Los Angeles, bringing breaking news from above the city through NewsChopper 4.

Their deaths left colleagues confronting the painful reality of losing people they had worked alongside in some of the most demanding circumstances of their careers.

“Two of the reporters were our NBC colleagues,” Guthrie said during the broadcast.

For Romero, the loss was deeply personal.

“We Are Heartbroken”

“We are heartbroken,” Romero told Guthrie and Melvin.

She explained that working in television news creates a unique bond between colleagues because they share their lives while covering both tragedies and moments of celebration.

“You know what it’s like to be in the news business, right?” Romero said, describing the connection between journalists who spend so much of their lives working together.

She remembered Moreno and Marciniw as important parts of that community and extended her thoughts to their families, friends and the wider communities they served.

Both, Romero noted, were lifelong Angelenos.

They had the opportunity to report on the city they called home — something she said they were deeply proud of.

They Were Doing What They Loved

One of the most poignant parts of Romero’s tribute was her reflection on how much Moreno and Marciniw loved their work.

“They were both doing what they loved so much,” she said.

For Romero, that offered at least a small measure of comfort amid the grief.

She remembered that they loved breaking news and enjoyed working aboard NewsChopper 4, where they had become such a familiar presence for viewers.

Her words painted a picture of two journalists who were deeply committed to their profession and to telling stories from the city they knew so well.

Remembering Eliana’s Passion

Romero spoke particularly warmly about Moreno’s personality and dedication.

She described the reporter as a “spark plug” — someone whose energy and passion were impossible to miss.

Moreno was remembered as a trusted reporter who worked hard to cover what she saw from the air, delivering reports in both English and Spanish.

Romero also recalled visiting NewsChopper 4 with Moreno.

“She was so proud to show us her office,” she remembered.

Moreno’s enthusiasm for the job was unmistakable, Romero said, describing how her passion made those around her appreciate the work even more.

A Bond With Viewers, Too

The grief was not limited to the newsroom.

Romero also acknowledged the connection Moreno and Marciniw had built with viewers over the years.

For audiences accustomed to hearing a familiar voice reporting breaking news from a helicopter, the relationship could feel surprisingly personal.

“When you have that voice of a news chopper reporter in your ear, it’s a very intimate relationship,” Romero explained.

That familiarity meant viewers were grieving too — not simply as an audience watching a news story, but as people who had welcomed those voices into their homes during countless moments of breaking news.

A Memorial Outside NBC4 And Telemundo 52

As news of the tragedy spread, flowers were left outside the NBC4 and Telemundo 52 offices in Los Angeles.

The makeshift memorial became a visible reminder of the impact Moreno and Marciniw had on their colleagues and the communities they served.

For a newsroom accustomed to reporting tragedies affecting others, this time the heartbreaking story was happening within their own professional family.

“Our Hearts Are Heavy”

As the emotional conversation came to an end, Guthrie offered her support to Romero and everyone at NBC Los Angeles.

“We mourn with you,” she said.

Guthrie acknowledged the bond that exists between journalists who spend their lives together — working nights and weekends, facing stressful situations and covering difficult stories side by side.

There is a connection forged through those shared experiences, she said.

And after the loss of Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw, that connection was painfully evident.

“Our hearts are with you,” Guthrie told Romero.

The crash left NBC colleagues, families, friends and viewers mourning two journalists who had dedicated their lives to breaking news and serving their home city.

For those who knew them personally, the memories of their enthusiasm, professionalism and love for their work will now remain an important part of the legacy they leave behind.