CHATSWORTH, Calif. — A horrific scene unfolded in the San Fernando Valley on Tuesday evening as a news helicopter crashed into a parking lot in the Chatsworth community, leaving three people dead and at least one other person hospitalized.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) confirmed the fatalities following the disaster, which occurred near a self-storage facility. According to NBC Los Angeles, the aircraft involved was a news helicopter.
Fire Capt. Branden Silverman, who responded to the scene, reported that emergency responders discovered the helicopter engulfed in flames upon arrival. The fire from the wreckage quickly spread to several parked vehicles in the lot. Among the three deceased, officials indicated that at least one victim appears to have been a pedestrian on the ground at the time of the impact. Another individual involved in the crash was transported to a nearby hospital, where their condition remains unknown.
The tragedy in Chatsworth followed a chaotic afternoon for emergency services in the area. Just before the helicopter went down, the LAFD was already managing a separate, severe incident nearby. At 5:03 p.m., a collision occurred between a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger vehicle on Nordhoff Street, resulting in two fatalities and multiple injuries. First responders had been on-site working to extricate trapped passengers from that crash when the helicopter went down.
“Fire and police personnel were nearby,” Silverman said, explaining how authorities were able to pivot immediately to the second, catastrophic scene. The proximity of the two incidents created a high-stress, rapidly evolving environment for first responders as they navigated the overlapping tragedies.
The LAFD has confirmed that the site of the helicopter crash has been secured to facilitate a thorough investigation. Both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been notified and will lead the inquiry into the cause of the helicopter failure. Investigators are expected to spend the coming days examining the wreckage and analyzing flight data to determine what led to the aircraft’s sudden descent.
As of Tuesday night, the identities of the victims had not been released, pending notification of their families. Authorities have asked the public to avoid the area surrounding the self-storage facility as the investigation continues and the wreckage is cleared.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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