A news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

It was flying over a crash between an SUV and a city bus.

The crash happened live on TV.

The helicopter caught fire.

Three people died.

NBC4 Los Angeles said two people on the helicopter died.

They were Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw.

Fire officials said a third person died on the ground.

His name was Edy Gutierrez Mejia.

Since 2000, there have been at least eight deadly news helicopter crashes in the U.S.

These crashes killed 16 people.

Moreno was known as "Eli in the Heli."

She worked as an aerial journalist since 2010.

She said the job needed video shooting and editing.

It also needed deep knowledge of the city.

In a 2023 Instagram post, she said she worked 76 hours since Sunday.

But she called it "the best job in the world."

NBC4 said Marciniw had more than 30 years of flight experience.

Aerial news reporting started in Los Angeles.

KTLA-TV showed the "Telecopter" in 1958.

John Silva invented it.

He was the chief engineer.

In a 2002 interview, Silva said he wanted to beat other stations.

He also wanted to avoid traffic.

The project was secret.

The camera equipment was cut from about 2,000 pounds to under 400 pounds.

KTLA first broadcast from the Telecopter on July 24, 1958.

It made record advertising money.

Silva won two Emmy awards for the invention.

Airborne coverage changed live TV news.

It covered the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

It also covered the 1994 O.J. Simpson chase.

But it has also brought tragedy many times.

In 1977, a KNBC helicopter ran out of fuel and crashed.

Two people died.

In 1986, a New York radio helicopter fell into the Hudson River.

Reporter Jane Dornacker died.

In 2007, two Phoenix news helicopters hit each other during a police chase.

All four people on board died.

Journalist Tammy Rose said crews follow strict safety rules.

She said her company wants pilots to stay above 500 feet.