Helicopter Crash

A helicopter with 5 people aboard crashed into the water off SoCal's Catalina Island, leaving 2 dead ... and, ironically, the chopper was in the middle of a mission to save a patient.

Four of the medevac helicopter's occupants were pulled from the water Wednesday night in joint efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard, local fire departments and L.A. County Sheriff's Office just before 8 PM.

The chopper had just taken off from Catalina, heading back to mainland California, when it went down ... according to officials.

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, ripped into Vice President JD Vance ... roasting his "fake" beard and challenging him to a bench press competition.

Check out the new YouTube collab between TMZ and the New York Post, "The Low Down," where we bring you stories that are gripping, outrageous, and sometimes scandalous.

New footage of the Los Angeles news helicopter that crashed shows the blades of the airship seem to have stalled before it fell to the ground, exploded and killed three people.

Startling new footage of the Los Angeles news helicopter crash that killed three people shows the final seconds before the craft's deadly impact ... and the blades of the airship appear to have been stalled.

The security footage -- taken from a nearby business -- was shared by Los Angeles Aerial Photography on social media and it shows the helicopter's descent in slow motion.

It looks like the blades are stalled ... and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

An NBC helicopter carrying one of their reporters crashed in Los Angeles, killing the journalist, her pilot, and a pedestrian ... and a live stream captured the final moments before the fiery impact.

Check out the new YouTube collab between TMZ and the New York Post, "The Low Down," where we bring you stories that are gripping, outrageous, and sometimes scandalous.

A man in Ohio punched a sheriff's deputy as part of a desperate escape attempt after he was sentenced to a year in prison.

The Los Angeles news helicopter that crashed while covering a deadly bus accident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board ... and one member of the agency shared what may be a key piece of evidence -- though the investigation is still in its early stages.

NTSB Investigator-in-Charge Fabian Salazar addressed the media ... noting the NTSB is in the early stages of its investigation. At this time, NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are gathering factual information on the crash.

Salazar said the preliminary report on the crash will take at least 30 days to come out. The final report with the probable cause could take up to 18 months.

Video from the incident could make a huge difference, Salazar notes ... especially once video from inside the helicopter is analyzed -- because he says the NTSB's lab may be able to identify issues with the craft based on the noises of the engine and warning sounds from the tech in the helicopter.

9:03 AM PT -- The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has confirmed to TMZ that the third victim of the deadly helicopter crash was Edy Gutierrez Mejia. He was 29 ... and his place of death was listed as a "business parking lot."

Two of the three victims of a horrific helicopter crash in California have been identified as a seasoned NBC L.A. reporter and her veteran pilot.

NBC Los Angeles' Eliana Moreno -- who also reported for Telemundo -- and pilot George Marciniw were aboard the fatal, fiery crash in Chatsworth ... the outlet confirmed.

A third victim -- a pedestrian -- has yet to be identified. At the time of the crash, Moreno and Marciniw had been covering a fatal bus crash that left at least two dead.

A Los Angeles news helicopter went down in a fiery crash Tuesday evening, leaving three people dead and sending a towering cloud of thick black smoke over the area.

The aircraft is believed to belong to KNBC, the Los Angeles NBC affiliate. Not long after the crash, the station's anchor, Colleen Williams, told viewers the station had "lost contact with our people."

NBC4 anchors appeared visibly emotional as they continued covering the helicopter crash live on-air.

The helicopter crashed while the news crew was covering a deadly bus crash that claimed at least two lives.

Officials have not yet said what caused the helicopter to crash into the ground.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation.

NBC LA confirmed during their on-air coverage of the crash that the news helicopter did belong to their station. They took a moment to let viewers know they will be taking some time off air to process the news. The names of those on board have not been confirmed

Three generations of one family -- a 17-year-old influencer, her mother and her grandmother -- died in a fiery helicopter crash in Brazil ... while their relatives waited at the hangar for the next flight.

Sofia Murillo boarded the sightseeing helicopter in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday with her mother, Wendy Manrique, and grandmother, Rocio Cubillos. Pilot Alessandro Rocha was also aboard -- all were killed.

Sofia had more than 250,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, where she shared beauty advice and cosmetic reviews.

Bobbi Althoff sat down with Oliver Tree for one of the late singer's final interviews, then published their conversation a couple weeks after his death ... but she didn't do so without a stamp of approval.

Sources with direct knowledge TMZ ... Bobbi reached out to Oliver's camp before publishing her interview with him on "The Really Good Podcast," and she got their blessing.

Oliver's appearance on Bobbi's podcast stands as one of his final on-camera interviews before he died in a helicopter crash in Brazil. It's unclear when they filmed the podcast, but Oliver died June 14 and Bobbi posted it 15 days later on June 29.

Oliver Tree got deep on the fickle nature of life in one of his final interviews before his tragic death ... telling Bobbi Althoff nothing in life should be taken for granted.

Bobbi just released video from Oliver's appearance on "The Really Good Podcast" ... he gets philosophical, telling her ... "We don't know if I'll be alive next year or you'll be alive. There's no day promised."

Looking back, Oliver's comments are kinda eerie ... considering he died earlier this month when the helicopter he was flying in collided with another chopper in Brazil. Five other people died in the crash.

Oliver Tree would've turned 33 today, and his girlfriend posted a touching tribute in his honor ... comparing him to Jesus Christ.

Fiona Chernavskaya shared a bunch of pics and videos to her Instagram story Monday, remembering the musician on his heavenly birthday ... just two weeks after he tragically died in a helicopter crash in Brazil.

She shared a few cute clips of Oliver on stage, plus her cheering him on during soundcheck and a behind-the-scenes moment backstage.

Fiona concluded with a sweet collage of some silly snaps from her time with Oliver, writing ... "33 like Jesus."

Oliver Tree's family can now rest a little easier ... because his body has been returned to the United States after the tragic helicopter crash that took his life last weekend.

A tribute post popped up on his official Instagram account Sunday ... and the caption focused on his legacy and thanked everyone -- from friends to fans -- for reaching out with their love and support.

The post adds, "Oliver is now back in California where he can finally rest. His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named 'Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses' coming soon."

Oliver Tree's mom is remembering her son with a heartbreaking tribute following his tragic death in a helicopter crash.

Christine Begin Nickell took to Facebook on Thursday to share an emotional message, writing, "Our dear son Oliver, you made this world a better place. We are so proud of you. RIP," followed by three heart emojis.

Oliver's mom accompanied the post with a photo of him from his younger years, offering a glimpse of her son as loved ones continue to mourn his loss.

A producer who was invited on the doomed helicopter flight that killed Oliver Tree and five others in Brazil says he narrowly escaped tragedy after backing out at the last minute.

Victor Wao revealed on Instagram he was originally supposed to be on the flight Sunday, but his friend, Argentine producer Lucas Vignale, kindly arranged a car ride for him due to his fear of flying ... The New York Post reports.

The change saved Victor's life ... because all six people aboard the helicopter died after it collided with another chopper mid-air in Rio de Janeiro. The others who died were Lucas, YouTuber Gaspi, Lucas Brito Chaves and the pilots of both crafts, Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.

The airships burst into flames and crashed into an electric vehicle yard ... and footage shows first responders surrounding one of the mangled choppers.

Post Malone got emotional remembering Oliver Tree ... dedicating his concert to the late musician after a fatal helicopter crash ... and pouring out some beer for a fallen friend.

Posty took a moment during his Tuesday show in Toronto to honor his late pal, speaking directly to the crowd about Oliver's impact before pouring out some Bud Light.

It was a heartfelt tribute, with Post praising Oliver's art, heart, and soul before addressing him directly ... saying he wanted Oliver to know just how loved he was.