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NBC presenter's live statement after realizing news helicopter that crashed was one of their own
An NBC4 presenter made a heartbreaking statement live on air after realizing a news helicopter that crashed was one of their own.
Veteran presenter Colleen Williams had been covering the unfolding tragedy in Los Angeles on Tuesday (September 15) when she confirmed that the network had lost its NewsChopper 4 and the people on board.
"We knew we'd lost contact with our people out there, and we've just received confirmation," Williams said.
The visibly emotional anchor told viewers: "We’re going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process, and to regroup. But in the meantime, if anything should happen - if there is a news conference, anything, we will bring it to you."
The chopper had crashed between two commercial buildings at around 7PM on the 9100 block of Mason Avenue, setting several nearby cars on fire.
Three people were tragically killed, including NBC4 aerial reporter Eliana Moreno, 38, and pilot George Marciniw.
A third victim was on the ground.
Moreno, also known as 'Eli in the Heli', and Marciniw had been providing aerial coverage of the deadly bus collision nearby when their helicopter crashed and burst into flames.
Per The New York Post, the late reporter was a familiar face in Los Angeles news, reporting from the air on police pursuits, traffic incidents, and brush fires.
She had dreamed of becoming a television reporter from the age of 11 and graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with degrees in broadcast journalism and political science.
Moreno had worked for Angel City Air Inc., which operated the helicopter, since 2010 and had previously worked with KCAL 9 and KCBS 2 before becoming a familiar voice on NBC4 and Telemundo 52.
She had previously described working as an aerial journalist as "the best job in the world."
Colleagues pay tribute to Moreno
Telemundo 52 confirmed the deaths of Moreno and Marciniw in an emotional statement.
"Tonight, we are in mourning. We are heartbroken. We have lost two great colleagues. "Eliana Moreno was a wonderful human being. Her professionalism was impressive. Everyone who worked with her knew she was - without a doubt - the best airborne reporter in all of Los Angeles."
The network also remembered Moreno as someone who was "on top of everything" and a "source of comfort" to those around her.
Moreno had become engaged to Robert Barrientos less than a year before her death, sharing footage of the proposal from a trip to Tennessee on October 28, 2025.
"I will remember this trip to Tennessee for the rest of my life," she wrote at the time.
Investigation into the crash is underway
A harrowing live-stream video that emerged after the crash appeared to capture the helicopter experiencing difficulties shortly before it went down.
A woman's voice, believed to be Moreno's, could be heard telling the pilot to "pull" before asking: "What? You can’t pull up?"
The footage then appeared to shake before the aircraft crashed.
The cause of the crash has not been determined.
Veteran pilot Zoey Tur told the New York Post that, based on the footage and audio, she believed engine failure could have been involved.
"If you listen, you could hear the low rotor RPM annunciator horn going off. You could also hear the engine rev down," she said. "This was an engine failure, and slow response into entering an auto-rotation by PiC. No survivors."
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration also investigating.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.