The official cause of death has been revealed for Eliana Moreno, the 38-year-old NBC Los Angeles aerial reporter who was killed when a news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth last week.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Moreno died from blunt force injuries sustained in the helicopter crash. Her death was classified as an accident. The finding provides information about how she died, but investigators have not yet determined what caused the helicopter itself to crash.

Moreno and veteran helicopter pilot George Marciniw were killed on Sept. 15 when their NewsChopper4 helicopter went down in the San Fernando Valley community of Chatsworth. A third person on the ground, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, was also killed. Another person was injured and taken to a hospital.

Crash Happened During Live News Coverage

The helicopter, operated by Angel City Air for NBC4 and Telemundo 52, was covering an earlier deadly collision involving a Metro bus and an SUV when it crashed shortly before 7 p.m.

The helicopter came down between commercial buildings in a parking area, causing a fire and damaging nearby vehicles and storage containers.

Moreno and Marciniw had been working together for several years and were experienced in aerial news coverage across Southern California. Moreno was widely known to viewers as “Eli in the Heli.”

She had worked as an aerial reporter and photographer since 2010 and covered major breaking-news events, including wildfires, police pursuits and severe weather.

Final Moments Captured on Video

Investigators are examining video and audio recorded during the helicopter’s final moments.

The helicopter was broadcasting live when it began to experience trouble. The footage showed the aircraft shaking shortly before the feed ended. Audio from the recording captured Moreno asking Marciniw whether he could pull the helicopter up.

NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar said the recording could be crucial to determining what happened. Investigators heard sounds consistent with changes in engine speed as well as cockpit warning tones. The agency planned to obtain a pristine copy of the recording for detailed analysis.

The NTSB has said that determining the official cause of the crash could take considerably longer. A preliminary report is expected during the investigation, while a final determination can take many months.

Remembering Eliana Moreno

Moreno was born in Orange County and graduated from Chapman University in 2010. She had dreamed of becoming a journalist since childhood and eventually achieved her goal of working in her hometown television market.

Colleagues remembered her as a dedicated journalist who embraced the unusual combination of reporting, photography and helicopter operations required for aerial news coverage.

She was also engaged to be married and was known for her love of animals. Her family said Moreno had worked hard to turn her childhood dream of becoming a reporter into reality.

In a statement following her death, Moreno’s family thanked the public for the support they had received and asked people to remember Eliana, Marciniw and Gutierrez Mejia, as well as the victims of the earlier bus collision.

The tragedy has deeply affected NBC Los Angeles and the wider Southern California journalism community. Moreno’s death came while she was doing the work she had devoted much of her adult life to—reporting breaking news from the sky.

The medical examiner’s finding now officially documents the injuries that caused her death. However, the larger question of why the NewsChopper4 aircraft suddenly went down remains under investigation by federal authorities.

Sources: New York Post; NBC Los Angeles; CBS Los Angeles; ABC News; Los Angeles County Medical Examiner; National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Angel City Air.