Three people were killed and one person was hospitalized after a helicopter identified as a television news aircraft crashed and burst into flames Tuesday evening in Chatsworth, according to updated information from authorities and NBC Los Angeles.
The crash was reported at approximately 6:57 p.m. near 9151 N. Mason Ave., where the helicopter went down between two commercial buildings, prompting a large response from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Fire officials initially confirmed three fatalities at the scene and said a fourth person was transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition. About 56 firefighters responded to the crash and extinguished the fire by about 8 p.m.
NBC Los Angeles later confirmed the aircraft was a news helicopter. Several television news helicopters had been covering an unrelated fatal crash involving a Metro bus in the west San Fernando Valley when the aircraft went down.
The helicopter crashed into a parking lot and erupted into a fireball, according to witness accounts. Firefighters said the resulting blaze damaged four vehicles and two storage containers, though no nearby buildings were affected.
LAFD spokesperson Brandon Silverman told NBC Los Angeles the aircraft was so heavily damaged that first responders initially couldn’t determine its tail identification number, a unique registration code assigned to aircraft.
“From the helicopter itself, it’s pretty well destroyed,” Silverman said. “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; we couldn’t even see a tail.”
Authorities have not yet released the identities, ages or genders of the victims.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was “absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight,” adding that her thoughts are with the families of those killed in both the helicopter crash and the earlier bus collision. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also offered condolences, saying, “Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family. Thank you to the first responders working tirelessly tonight.”
Investigators are still determining the cause of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are gathering information and are expected to lead the investigation into what caused the aircraft to go down.
The helicopter crash occurred less than two hours after another deadly incident in Chatsworth, where a collision involving a Metro bus and a passenger vehicle left two people dead and several others injured.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. A video has been added to this story.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: News helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, killing 3; 1 hospitalized
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