Helicopter goes down

An NBC Los Angeles news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth on Tuesday evening near the scene of a deadly bus collision.

Three people killed

Authorities said three people died at the helicopter crash scene, two on board the aircraft and one pedestrian on the ground.

Near two warehouses

The helicopter came down in a parking lot between two warehouses near Northoff Street and DeSoto Avenue just before 7pm.

Containers and cars hit

The chopper appeared to land on two shipping containers and several parked vehicles, setting off a large fire.

Fire crews rush in

Los Angeles firefighters moved in as flames threatened nearby vehicles. Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged.

One person hospitalized

Officials said another person was taken to a local hospital. Their condition was not known.

NBC loses contact

On air, NBC 4 Los Angeles anchor Colleen Williams told viewers the station was no longer in contact with its helicopter crew.

“We have lost contact with our people”

Station confirms aircraft

Williams later confirmed the helicopter belonged to NBC Los Angeles, and the station paused coverage to process what had happened.

Friend suspects engine trouble

A friend of the two people on board told Fox Los Angeles he was heartbroken and believed the helicopter suffered engine failure.

“It's heartbreaking to see the engine quit.”

Aircraft badly destroyed

LA Fire Department Captain Branden Silverman said the helicopter was severely damaged after the crash and fire.

“pretty well destroyed”

Bus crash came first

The helicopter had apparently been covering a separate Metro bus crash nearby, where an SUV slammed into the bus earlier in the evening.

SUV hit the bus

Local reports said the bus was crossing an intersection around 5pm when a Ford SUV T-boned it and pushed both vehicles onto the curb.

Red light question

Authorities are looking at whether one of the vehicles ran a red light before the bus collision.

Bus victims trapped

Search and rescue crews pulled multiple people from the bus. At least one person was found stuck underneath with crushing injuries.

“crushing”

Large emergency response

At the height of the bus crash response, 56 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel were on scene, according to a department spokesperson.

Intersection stays closed

Officials said the Chatsworth intersection would remain closed for quite some time as emergency crews and investigators worked there.

“quite some time”

Leaders offer condolences

Mayor Karen Bass said she was devastated by the loss of life. Governor Gavin Newsom also sent condolences to the victims, families and NBC4.

“absolutely devastated by the loss of life”

Federal investigation next

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the helicopter crash to determine what caused it.