Remembering reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, both killed in NBC Los Angeles helicopter crash
Journalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw had worked together for the last three years, and on Tuesday night, the two were on assignment for NBCLA and Telemundo 52 when their news helicopter crashed, and they both died.
They were covering a deadly bus crash in Chatsworth just blocks away, hovering over the scene when something, still unknown, went terribly wrong.
NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar called the crash an "accident" in Wednesday's news conference and would not speculate on what could have caused the helicopter to drop, as an investigation is in preliminary stages.
Marciniw grew up in Southern California and had been a pilot for decades, covering some of LA's defining moments from the sky—from wildfires to police pursuits.
He was also an instructor, teaching pilots how to fly. At the airport, fellow pilot Esteban Jimenez reflected on their final moments.
"He was always cool. I've never met anybody that disliked them. I feel there's so many things I could have said to him over the weekend when we were talking about flying," he said.
But Marciniw's impact reached beyond the cockpit and people who knew him outside of work, they say he will be deeply missed.
"He was always the first to say hi and be kind to my kids and to us," neighbor Brea Angelo said. "He was always, like, working on his lawn, and he came over for barbecues."
She said her kids called their neighbor Mr. George, and for her family in Burbank, his friendship was a gift.
At the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Los Angeles, they are remembering a longtime parishioner with a heart of gold.
"Every time you come to church, you just can see that smile was just so bright, you know. Such a kind heart, kind person. It's a great loss," Pastor Ihor Koshyk said of Marciniw.
Moreno, 38, was born in Orange County, graduated from Chapman University in 2010, and realized her dream of working in news.
She joined the Angel City Air helicopter team in 2010 and reported for several Southern California media outlets. The NewsChopper4 helicopter is owned and operated by Angel City Air.
Moreno went by "eli in the heli" on Instagram, where she called herself a dog and chicken mom, a Chapman University alum, and engaged.
Even in elementary school, Moreno knew she would be a reporter, and for the last 16 years, the helicopter reporter and photographer brought some of the most important television news stories to Southern California.
In a Chapman University video, Moreno credits the college and Professor Pete Weitzner for her success.
"From freshman year to senior year, just everything that I am doing now, somehow he has his hand in that," Moreno said in the video.
Weitzner said Moreno's goal was to work in her hometown television market, and she reported from the helicopters at CBSLA and, most recently, Telemundo 52 and NBCLA.
"Eliana was fearless and loved that she was not only reporting, but she was the camera person and editor. The more the better," Weitzner said.
"Not too many people can be bilingual, helicopter skills --- Eliana Moreno, so she knew that, right? She's smart and she loved it."
A third person died at the helicopter crash site, 29-year-old Edy Guitierrez Mejia. He was on the ground in the parking lot where the chopper dropped.
On Wednesday, the NTSB and the FAA were at the accident site, gathering factual data. Salazar said the NBCLA helicopter was capturing live footage when the crash occurred. He called that video the "most important evidence" so far.
