Chapman graduate among 3 killed in Los Angeles news helicopter crash

Photo courtesy of Eliana Moreno's Instagram

Eliana Moreno, a 2010 Chapman graduate and aerial journalist for NBC4 and Telemundo 52, was among the three people killed Tuesday evening when a news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles’ Chatsworth neighborhood.

Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were aboard the helicopter, which was operated by Angel City Air, covering an earlier fatal collision involving a Metro bus when it crashed shortly before 7 p.m., according to NBC Los Angeles. A third person on the ground was also killed.

The cause of the helicopter crash remains under investigation.

Moreno was born in Orange County and graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with a double degree in broadcast journalism and political science, according to the university.

“We are grateful to know that she went on to pursue her passion for journalism and storytelling as a reporter,” Chapman’s Director of Strategic Communications Bob Hitchcock said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to Eliana’s family, friends, colleagues, and all those who knew and worked with her. We extend our deepest condolences to everyone mourning her loss.”

Moreno joined Angel City Air’s helicopter team after graduation and has reported for multiple Southern California news outlets since. A seasoned aerial journalist who also reported in Spanish, Moreno was known on her official Instagram account as “Eli in the heli” for her work.

At NBC4 and Telemundo 52, she became a familiar presence to viewers through aerial coverage of wildfires, police pursuits, traffic incidents and other breaking news.

The aircraft crashed in a parking lot near a self-storage facility in the community of Chatsworth, in the San Fernando Valley, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.