Federal officers on Wednesday launched pictures of a doomed New York Metropolis sightseeing helicopter because it broke aside in midair final month, killing six folks.
The sequence of nonetheless images taken from surveillance digicam video exhibits the fuselage, containing the engine and rotors, separating from the helicopter’s tail. The rotor blades and the transmission then detach from the cabin that’s carrying the passengers and the pilot.
The pictures had been included within the preliminary report concerning the flight launched by the Nationwide Transportation Security Board.
Enhanced surveillance video with sequential pictures depicting the helicopter’s flight and breakup. Supply: NTSB
“Several witnesses described hearing several loud ‘bangs’ emanating from the helicopter before it broke up and descended into the river,” the report says.
Justin Inexperienced, an aviation lawyer and former Marine helicopter pilot, stated the sequence of pictures exhibits the helicopter yawing severely and the tail increase failing, suggesting it was almost certainly struck by the plane’s major rotor blades whereas in flight.
“It’s clear that some mechanical issue precipitated the breakup,” he stated. “We still do not know the exact issues, only potential causes.”
The preliminary NTSB report, which runs about six pages, doesn’t handle the preliminary reason for “the in-flight breakup of the plane,” he stated. That may seemingly be decided by a forensic examination of the wreckage itself, together with the rotor blades, the engine and transmission.
Federal Aviation Administration information present the plane, a Bell 206L-4, was in-built 2004 and had a upkeep problem final September involving its transmission meeting.
The NTSB stated beforehand that the plane, which was operated by tour firm New York Helicopter, was not geared up with any video or information recording units.
However on Wednesday, it stated pictures taken beforehand present that the pilot, Seankese Johnson, was carrying computer-augmented sun shades, which might have had video and audio recording functionality. The glasses haven’t been recovered, nonetheless.
Johnson, a 36-year-old former Navy SEAL, acquired his industrial pilot’s license in 2023 and had logged 790 hours of flight time, in line with the NTSB report.
However he did not seem like significantly skilled flying a Bell 206L-4, in line with Al Yurman, a retired NTSB investigator, who famous the report discovered he had fewer than 50 hours of flight in that kind of plane.
“It’s quite sophisticated for that type of work,” Yurman stated. “I would prefer to have someone more experienced but we’ll know more when the full report comes out.”
The report stated Johnson labored a “10 days on/10 days off schedule” and the April 10 flight was his first day again after 10 days off. The flight was additionally the eighth of the day for the pilot and the helicopter.
The plane was on a typical tour, departing from the downtown heliport by Wall Avenue round 3 p.m. and flying north alongside the Manhattan skyline earlier than heading south towards the Statue of Liberty.
Lower than 18 minutes into the flight, witnesses noticed the tail and major rotor break free and smoke pouring from the spinning helicopter.
In recent times New York Helicopter, the tour firm, went via chapter and confronted ongoing lawsuits over alleged money owed.
The crash was amongst a current string of plane disasters and shut calls that left some folks apprehensive concerning the security of flying within the U.S. It additionally revived considerations concerning the in style and dear aerial excursions over New York Metropolis.
5 industrial sightseeing helicopters have gone down within the rivers round Manhattan since 2005 on account of mechanical failure, pilot error or collision, killing 20 folks.
The April 10 crash killed a distinguished household from Barcelona, Spain: Agustín Escobar, 49; Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39; and their youngsters Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10.
Officers have stated Escobar, international CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, was within the New York space on enterprise.
Montal, who labored for Siemens Power and was the granddaughter of a former president of the well-known Barcelona FC soccer membership, flew in with their youngsters to satisfy him.
Mercedes would have turned 9 the day after the crash.
