Probe opened into deadly news helicopter crash

CHATSWORTH - A news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles Tuesday evening near the scene of a deadly Metro bus wreck, with at least one person killed in the crash, according to reports.

Multiple news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times reported that KNBC-TV lost contact with their helicopter crew covering the bus crash.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said one person killed was likely a pedestrian who was not in the helicopter.

It was not immediately clear how many people were aboard the helicopter or who was involved but early reports indicate the helicopter belonged to KNBC.

"We have lost contact with our people," Colleen Williams, longtime anchor at NBC4, said while emotionally shaken as she covered the story.

The helicopter crashed in a Chatsworth parking lot near Nordhoff Street, setting several nearby cars on fire.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found both the helicopter and the cars burning close to where emergency crews were already helping people from an earlier bus accident.

The helicopter crash unfolded as first responders were dealing with a separate deadly collision nearby involving a Metro bus and another vehicle.

At least two people were killed in the bus crash, emergency personnel told KNBC.