Eliana Moreno was killed in the NewsChopper4 helicopter crash in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, on September 15, 2026. The helicopter was providing aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 when it went down shortly before 7 p.m. Moreno was one of two people aboard the helicopter who died in the crash. The pilot was George Marciniw.
The helicopter was covering a separate collision involving an SUV and a Los Angeles Metro bus when it crashed near North Mason Avenue. Moreno was working as an aerial journalist at the time and was reporting from the helicopter as part of the news coverage. NBC4 later confirmed that NewsChopper4 was its aircraft and identified Moreno and Marciniw among those killed.
What Happened in the Chatsworth Helicopter Crash?
The NewsChopper4 helicopter crashed in Chatsworth shortly before 7 p.m. on September 15, 2026, while television crews were covering a deadly traffic collision nearby. The aircraft went down in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, between commercial buildings in the San Fernando Valley.
The earlier incident involved an SUV and a Metro bus. At least two people were killed and six others were injured in that collision, which had brought several news helicopters into the area. NewsChopper4 was in the air covering that story when the helicopter crash occurred.
NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams confirmed on air that the station had lost contact with its air crew and later confirmed that NewsChopper4 had gone down. The helicopter was operated by Angel City Air, which provides aerial photography and news services in Southern California.
Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were identified as the two people aboard the helicopter who died. A third person on the ground was also killed, while another person was taken to a hospital. More than 70 firefighters responded to the crash and the fire that followed.
The cause of the helicopter crash has not been established. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident. Early reports about what happened to the aircraft should therefore not be treated as a confirmed explanation for the crash.
Who Was Eliana Moreno?
Eliana Moreno was a television journalist and aerial photojournalist who spent much of her career reporting from helicopters over Southern California. She was known for combining reporting, photography and video work during breaking news coverage.
Moreno graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. Chapman later profiled her aerial reporting career and described her as one of the youngest aerial journalists working in the Los Angeles television market.
Her work included traffic incidents, police pursuits, brush fires and other breaking stories across Southern California. From the helicopter, she could report while also working with cameras and other production equipment used to provide live aerial images to viewers.
Moreno was also fluent in Spanish and worked in both English- and Spanish-language television. Her professional profile describes experience as a reporter, anchor, producer, photographer and editor before and during her aerial journalism career.
Her interest in television news began when she was a child. A 2015 Chapman profile said Moreno had known since she was 11 that she wanted to become a television news reporter.
Eliana Moreno’s Journalism Career
Eliana entered television journalism in Southern California before moving into aerial reporting. Her professional work included English- and Spanish-language reporting and assignments in Orange County before she began working primarily from helicopters.
She joined Angel City Air in 2010, shortly after graduating from Chapman University. The company lists Moreno as an aerial photographer and journalist and says she joined its team that year.
By 2015, Moreno was flying over Southern California for KCAL 9 and KCBS 2. Chapman described her work at the time as covering brush fires, police pursuits and other incidents that benefited from an aerial view.
Her career later included work with KNBC4, the NBC Los Angeles station, and Telemundo 52. Moreno became associated with aerial coverage that showed viewers fires, traffic problems, police activity and other developing stories from above.
Moreno’s work was not limited to appearing on camera. She described herself as handling several parts of a television assignment at once, including reporting, photography and editing. Her Chapman training helped prepare her for that work, particularly through broadcast journalism and sports broadcasting classes.
She also covered some of the area’s most demanding breaking-news events. In December 2017, Chapman reported that Moreno was among the first reporters over the Skirball Fire and used aerial images to show the scale of the blaze and provide information to viewers.
By the time of the 2026 crash, Moreno had spent about 16 years in aerial journalism. NBC4’s coverage described her as a familiar member of its helicopter reporting operation.
Who Was the Pilot in the NBC4 Helicopter Crash?
The pilot was George Marciniw, a Southern California helicopter pilot who had worked with NBC’s aerial news operation. NBC4 identified Marciniw alongside Moreno after the crash.
Marciniw had a long aviation career and was also associated with Pacific Rotorways, where professional profiles describe him as a helicopter instructor and pilot. He had accumulated thousands of flight hours during his career.
NBC4 said Moreno and Marciniw had begun flying together in 2023. The station also described the two as a regular aerial reporting team, with Moreno frequently referring to Marciniw during their coverage.
Their professional relationship was therefore established before the fatal flight. Both were working on NewsChopper4 coverage when the helicopter crashed in Chatsworth.
Eliana Moreno’s Family, Husband and Personal Life
Eliana Moreno was engaged to Robert Barrientos at the time of her death. She announced their engagement in a social media post on October 28, 2025, less than a year before the helicopter crash in Chatsworth.
Moreno shared photos of herself and Barrientos, including a picture of the couple posing with their three dogs. The New York Post described Barrientos as Moreno’s fiancé and reported that they had been engaged for about a year when she died.
The couple also shared an interest in running. In May 2026, Moreno completed the Orange County half marathon in under two hours alongside Barrientos. She had started training after making a New Year’s resolution to run one mile by the end of the year.
Talking of Eliana’s parents, there are no details about her father or mother made public so far.
Eliana Moreno’s Age, Education and Background
Eliana Moreno’s exact age and date of birth have not been reliably established in the public sources reviewed. Some online pages publish ages for people with the same name, but those records cannot be reliably connected to the NBC4 journalist.
Her education is better documented. Moreno graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with dual degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. She studied at the university’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and received training in television reporting and production.
Her professional background developed around Southern California television. Before becoming known for aerial reporting, she worked in local news in both English and Spanish. She later developed a career that combined journalism, photography, editing and live reporting from helicopters.
What Was Eliana Moreno’s Net Worth?
There is no reliable public estimate of Eliana Moreno’s net worth. No credible financial source located for this article publishes a verified figure for her personal assets or wealth.
Moreno had worked in Southern California television for more than a decade and had a long career in aerial journalism. Her professional background and employment history are public, but those details are not enough to calculate a personal net worth.
An estimate based on an assumed journalist salary would not establish how much Moreno owned, saved or owed. Her income, property, investments and other financial information have not been publicly documented in enough detail to produce a reliable figure.
Any specific number presented as Eliana Moreno’s net worth should therefore be treated as unverified.
Los Angeles Helicopter Crash: Current Investigation Status
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the Los Angeles helicopter crash to determine what caused the aircraft to go down. The cause of the crash has not yet been established. Investigators are expected to examine the helicopter, flight data and other evidence as they work to determine what happened.
Here is the final footage taken from the helicopter before the crash.
