Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. A news helicopter crashed in a commercial area of a Los Angeles suburb on Tuesday night, killing at least three people, according to officials and CNN affiliates. I mean, can you imagine being in the middle of a busy area and suddenly a helicopter comes crashing down? It’s just terrifying. The helicopter, a KNBC helicopter, crashed just before 7 p.m. in Chatsworth, a neighborhood about 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The crash happened near where emergency officials and news crews were responding to a deadly bus collision, the station said late Tuesday. I guess you could say it was a pretty chaotic scene. KNBC anchor Colleen Williams said on air, “We do know it’s a news helicopter and we do know we have lost contact with our people.” Earlier in the evening, Williams shared that the station lost contact with its helicopter team. Bless their hearts, I can only imagine how worried they must have been.
Three people were determined dead on the scene, the LA Fire Department said in a statement, and one person has been transported to a local hospital. Their condition is unknown. The cause of the crash is unknown and authorities have not said how many people were in the helicopter. I mean, it’s just one of those things that you don’t expect to happen, you know? A news helicopter crashing in a busy area, it’s just tragic.
One of the three deceased was a “pedestrian who was outside, in the parking lot,” LAFD Fire Captain Branden Silverman told reporters from the scene, adding that the Los Angeles Police Department was involved in pulling that person away from the fire. The helicopter was “pretty well destroyed,” and authorities would have to search through the rubble to identify victims and the helicopter’s identification. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. It’s just a really sad situation.
The crash caused a fire as it landed near several vehicles and two large cargo containers, LAFD said in a statement. Videos from the scene showed flames and thick plumes of smoke billowing from the site of the crash. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and they’re not wrong. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X late Tuesday, “I’m absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight. My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash.”
The fire has since been extinguished, LAFD said, adding that 56 firefighters responded to the incident. Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged, it added. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will be handling the investigation, LAFD said. CNN has reached out to the FAA and NTSB. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, it was a Eurocopter AS350 B2 built in 2004 – a popular, single-engine utility helicopter.
In conclusion, this is just a really sad story, folks. A news helicopter crashing in a busy area, killing at least three people, it’s just tragic. I mean, my heart goes out to the families of the victims. And let’s be real, it’s a reminder that life is unpredictable, and you never know what’s going to happen. So, let’s all just take a moment to appreciate the little things, and not take anything for granted. And on a lighter note, I guess this is a good reminder to always keep your coffee cup away from the edge of the table, just in case you need to jump up and react to some crazy news.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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