Two of the people killed in Los Angeles on Tuesday in a helicopter crash were a journalist and pilot who had flown hundreds of hours together since they first teamed up in 2023.
A third person on the ground was killed in the crash, which followed a bus accident that the news helicopter was covering when it went down.
At least two people were killed, and several others critically injured, when an S.U.V. slammed into a Los Angeles Metro bus in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, on Tuesday evening. About two hours later, the helicopter, which NBC 4 Los Angeles said was operated by Angel City Air, plummeted to the ground nearby.
The identities of many of the victims were still unknown on Wednesday.
Here’s what we know about the victims.
Eliana Moreno
Ms. Moreno, who was in her late 30s, was on board the helicopter when it crashed on Tuesday, according to NBC 4.
She was born in Orange County, Calif., just south of Los Angeles, and studied broadcast journalism and political science at Chapman University, graduating in 2010, the station said.
Mr. Moreno had known she wanted to be a television news reporter since she was 11 years old, according to her LinkedIn profile. She went by “Eli in the heli” on social media and NBC 4 described her as a “seasoned aerial journalist” who had covered “countless police pursuits” and other news events.
She also reported in Spanish, providing coverage for Telemundo 52, the Spanish-language sister channel of NBC 4.
In a post on social media in 2023, she described her work as “the best job in the world.”
She is survived by her fiancé, Robert Barrientos, the station said. The pair were engaged in 2025, according to a post she shared on social media.
In a joint statement, NBC 4 and Telemundo 52 said they were “deeply saddened” by the crash. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives,” the statement said.
George Marciniw
Mr. Marciniw was at the controls of the helicopter when it crashed on Tuesday, NBC 4 said.
He grew up in Southern California and graduated in 1974 from Burbank High School, about 11 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, according to the station. His father, Petro Marciniew, who died in 2015, was born in Ukraine and emigrated to the United States, where he worked as a cabinet maker, according to an online obituary.
Mr. Marciniw had worked in helicopter flight services for nearly 40 years, according to his Facebook profile. He had also been a helicopter flight instructor for more than 30 years, according to an online profile offering his services as an instructor.
Mr. Marciniw, who went by “Whirly dude” on Instagram, frequently posted images taken during his flights above Los Angeles, including those with Ms. Moreno. “And thats a wrap for Friday night as the heavy fog rolls in with Eliana Moreno,” he wrote in a caption for a photo he posted of the NBC 4 News helicopter.
In December 2025, he posted a selfie on Facebook with Ms. Moreno in front of the same helicopter. “Eliana and I wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays as we look forward to the start of a New Year,” he wrote.
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