A news broadcasting helicopter crashed in the Chatsworth suburb of Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday, killing three individuals on board and injuring two others, according to local authorities cited by the BBC.

Broadcast affiliate NBC Los Angeles confirmed that the aircraft involved was "NewsChopper4," belonging to its local station NBC4 (KNBC-TV).

The crash occurred around 7:00 PM local time on Tuesday (September 15) while the crew was providing live aerial coverage of an earlier fatal traffic collision involving a city Metro bus and an SUV in Chatsworth, located in the San Fernando Valley.

A Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson stated that the helicopter came down in an industrial lot between two commercial buildings near Lurline Avenue and Nordhoff Street.

The impact ignited fires across two shipping containers and multiple parked vehicles. Firefighters deployed to the scene successfully brought the flames under control.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims and the NBC4 newsroom staff.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched a formal investigation into the cause of the crash.

The incident unfolded shortly after an earlier collision between a Metro bus and an SUV at West Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth, which resulted in two fatalities and six injuries, prompting broadcast news choppers to cover the scene.

Sources: BBC, NBC Los Angeles, LA Times