Remembering Eliana Moreno
Los Angeles woke up on September 16, 2026, mourning a journalist who had spent years documenting the city from a perspective few people ever experience.
Eliana Moreno, known affectionately to many admirerers as “Eli in the Heli” tragically lost her life when the NBC4 helicopter crashed in Chatsworth on September 15th while she was covering a deadly Metro bus collision nearby. Pilot George Marciniw also died in the crash, as did a third person on the ground. Additionally, two other people were transported to the hospital after the helicopter crash.
Moreno’s death was especially heartbreaking because she was doing what she had done for years: covering breaking news and trying to give Angelenos information that could help them understand what was happening around them.
She was not simply a familiar voice in a helicopter overhead. For many Los Angeles viewers, her no-nonsense style of reporting had become part of the soundtrack of breaking news.
A Career Spent Watching Over Los Angeles
Moreno graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. She had been flying in news helicopters since that same year, building a career that placed her in the middle of some of Southern California’s most important breaking-news stories.
Her assignments included wildfires, major traffic incidents, rescues, police pursuits and other emergencies. From the air, Moreno could show viewers the scope of an incident in a way that cameras on the ground often could not.
She became particularly familiar to Los Angeles viewers during police pursuits. When a pursuit unfolded on the freeways or surface streets, Moreno and her helicopter could provide a continuously changing picture of where the suspect was going, where police were positioned and how traffic was being affected.
There was an unmistakable directness to her reporting. She did not need to sensationalize what was happening. The pictures were already extraordinary, and Moreno’s no-nonsense approach was a welcome contrast to over-speculation.
That no-nonsense approach helped make her a trusted presence. Her reporting often felt immediate and matter-of-fact, qualities that were particularly valuable during chaotic situations. She was there to tell people what was happening, where it was happening and ONLY what they needed to know.
The Tragedy She Was Covering
The chain of events that ultimately took Moreno’s life began several blocks away.
Shortly after 5 p.m. on September 15, a Metro Line 166 bus traveling eastbound on Nordhoff Street was struck by an SUV traveling southbound on De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth.
The collision was devastating. The SUV slammed into the side of the bus, trapping passengers and requiring firefighters to work to extricate victims from the wreckage. At least two people died in the bus collision, while six others were transported to hospitals. Early reports contained conflicting information about the exact number of fatalities and the condition of those involved, with investigators continuing to establish the precise circumstances.
That’s when the story became another tragedy.
At approximately 7 p.m., the NewsChopper4 helicopter went down in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, only a short distance from the bus crash. The helicopter crashed between commercial buildings, caught fire and damaged nearby vehicles and storage containers.
For NBC4, the horror was compounded by the fact that its journalists were initially covering the bus crash while simultaneously trying to determine what had happened to their own colleagues in the air.
The station eventually confirmed that it had lost two members of its news family.
Remembering George Marciniw and the Other Victims
Any memorial to Eliana Moreno must also remember the other people whose lives were lost that evening.
George Marciniw, Moreno’s pilot, was a longtime Southern California aviator. He graduated from Burbank High School in 1974 and had decades of flying experience. Moreno and Marciniw had been working together since 2023.
The partnership between reporter and pilot is an unusual one. They spend hours together, often responding to unpredictable situations and rapidly changing assignments. Over time, the relationship becomes one built on communication, trust and familiarity.
Marciniw and Moreno had developed that partnership while covering Southern California from above.
A third person, who was on the ground when the helicopter crashed, also lost their life. That person’s identity had not yet been publicly released in the initial reporting. Two additional people were taken to hospitals after the helicopter crash.
They deserve remembrance as well. Behind every breaking-news headline are individual lives, families, friends and communities left to cope with an absence that cannot be undone.
Eliana Moreno Was More Than a Reporter
Eliana also had a life away from the helicopter. She was recently engaged to Robert Barrientos, and friends and colleagues have spoken about her warmth, enthusiasm and love of animals. Public accounts have described her as a “mom” to animals, including chickens, as well as her loving daughter. Her private family life deserves the same respect she gave to the people she covered.
What is clear is that she was loved by the people around her.
NBC4 colleague Lynette Romero described Moreno and Marciniw as important members of the station family and remembered Moreno as someone with enormous warmth and enthusiasm. Romero also emphasized how much the two loved the work they were doing.
Eliana Will Be Remembered
Eliana Moreno spent more than a decade giving Los Angeles the view from above.
The circumstances of the helicopter crash will be investigated by federal authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration. Investigators will determine what caused the aircraft to lose altitude and crash.
But regardless of what the investigation ultimately finds, one fact is already certain: Los Angeles lost a journalist who devoted much of her professional life to telling the city’s stories.
She was there when Angelenos needed information. She was there above freeways during police pursuits. She was there over fires, crashes and emergencies. She became a familiar voice and face to people who might never have known her personally but felt as though they recognized her every time NewsChopper4 appeared on television.
That is one of the unusual relationships between local journalists and their audiences. A reporter may never meet most of the people watching at home, yet those viewers can come to know their voice, their manner and their presence over the years.
For many people in Los Angeles, Eliana Moreno was one of those journalists.
And on a day when Los Angeles is mourning her, the most fitting tribute may be to remember what she spent her career doing: showing people what was happening, telling them what they needed to know and doing her job with professionalism and purpose.
May Eliana Moreno, George Marciniw, the other victims of these tragedies and everyone affected by the crashes be remembered with dignity and compassion.
And may the tragedy serve as a reminder that every person behind the wheel carries a responsibility—not only for their own safety, but for the lives of everyone sharing the streets and the skies of Los Angeles.
Our hearts go out to all the families affected by this tragic loss.
Yuliya Kelmansky is an Expert Attorney who has over 10 years of practice defending a variety of cases.
