Eliana Moreno is a Los Angeles-based aerial journalist and photographer who has worked with NBC4’s NewsChopper4, providing aerial coverage of breaking news across Southern California. She is also associated with Angel City Air, the Los Angeles aerial-news and production company that supplies helicopter photography for television.
Moreno has recently drawn widespread attention following the September 15, 2026 crash of NewsChopper4 in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Reports identified Moreno among the three people killed in the helicopter crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
What Does Eliana Moreno Do?
Eliana Moreno worked as an aerial photojournalist, a role that combines journalism, photography and helicopter operations.
From NewsChopper4, she covered stories that were difficult to capture from the ground, including:
- Police pursuits
- Freeway crashes and traffic backups
- Fires and brush fires
- Crime scenes
- Major breaking-news events
- Large-scale emergencies
NBC4’s coverage throughout 2026 regularly credited Moreno on reports using aerial footage. For example, she reported from NewsChopper4 during a July police pursuit on the 105 Freeway and during an August brush fire near the Los Angeles-Kern County line.
The value of aerial reporting is largely visual. A helicopter can show the scale of a freeway closure, the movement of a police pursuit or the spread of a fire in a way that a ground camera cannot easily capture.
Where Did Eliana Moreno Study?
Moreno attended Chapman University, where she studied from 2006 to 2010, according to her professional profile.
Her interest in television reporting began when she was young. Her professional profile says she knew she wanted to become a television news reporter from the age of 11.
Before focusing primarily on aerial journalism, Moreno also built experience in ground reporting. Her professional portfolio includes reporting work from the Los Angeles and Orange County areas, including sports and community news.
When Did Eliana Moreno Join Angel City Air?
Angel City Air lists Moreno as joining its aerial-news operation in 2010, shortly after graduating from Chapman University. The company identifies her as an aerial photographer.
Angel City Air specializes in aerial cinematography, broadcast news gathering, photography and helicopter operations in Southern California.
Her career therefore developed around a specialized area of television journalism rather than traditional studio or street reporting.
What is NewsChopper4?
NewsChopper4 is NBC4’s helicopter-based news operation serving the Los Angeles area.
Its aerial footage is used to cover events across a wide geographic area, particularly when a story is unfolding quickly or covers a large physical space.
Moreno’s 2026 NBC4 assignments included aerial coverage of:
- A suspected human-trafficking suspect’s crash on the 105 Freeway.
- A major brush fire that temporarily closed Interstate 5.
- A police pursuit through Los Angeles.
- A deputy-involved shooting investigation in Bellflower.
- A quadruple stabbing investigation near USC.
These assignments illustrate the kind of breaking-news reporting Moreno was doing from the air.
Did Eliana Moreno Win an Emmy?
Yes. Moreno’s professional profile lists an Emmy Award received in 2013 with the KTLA5 News Team for best regularly scheduled daily morning newscast.
Her profile also lists the Mir Tukhi-Chris Harris Excellence in Broadcasting Award from Chapman University’s Dodge College.
What Happened to Eliana Moreno?
On September 15, 2026, NewsChopper4 crashed in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles while covering a serious traffic incident.
According to reporting, the helicopter went down near North Mason Avenue at about 7 p.m. The crash resulted in three deaths. Moreno was identified as one of those killed. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash and its cause.
The helicopter had been covering an earlier Metro bus collision. That separate crash had also resulted in deaths and injuries, making the evening particularly tragic for Los Angeles first responders and the local news community.
Why is Eliana Moreno’s Career Notable?
Moreno’s career illustrates a specialized side of television journalism that viewers often see without thinking about the people operating behind the footage.
Aerial journalists have to combine several skills at once:
- Reporting: understanding what is happening and what information viewers need.
- Photography: finding useful, informative images from above.
- Breaking-news judgment: identifying what matters as a situation changes.
- Aviation awareness: working safely in a helicopter environment.
- Communication: coordinating with newsroom teams during live coverage.
Moreno spent more than a decade working in this field. Angel City Air says she joined its aerial-news operation shortly after graduating from Chapman University in 2010, while NBC4’s 2026 coverage shows that she remained active in aerial reporting until the NewsChopper4 crash.
Eliana Moreno: Career at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Profession | Aerial journalist and photographer |
| Base | Los Angeles, California |
| Education | Chapman University |
| Graduation period | 2010 |
| Aerial journalism | Angel City Air |
| News operation | NBC4 NewsChopper4 |
| Career recognition | 2013 Emmy with KTLA5 News Team |
| Reporting area | Los Angeles and Southern California |
| Known for | Aerial coverage of breaking news |
| 2026 | Killed in NewsChopper4 helicopter crash |
Conclusion
Eliana Moreno’s work was largely seen from a helicopter camera rather than behind a traditional news desk. For years, her aerial reporting gave Los Angeles viewers a different perspective on freeway crashes, fires, police pursuits and other breaking stories.
Her career also shows how specialized television journalism has become. The person providing a live image from above is not simply operating a camera; aerial news gathering requires reporting experience, visual judgment and the ability to work in a rapidly changing environment.
Moreno’s death in the September 15 helicopter crash has brought renewed attention to that often-unseen side of broadcast journalism.
