Helicopter Suddenly Broke into Three Pieces Before Crashing into Hudson River, Killing Tourist Family and Pilot: NTSB

Helicopter Breaks into Pieces Before Deadly Crash in Hudson River: NTSB

A tragic incident occurred in New York City on April 10 when a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, claiming the lives of the pilot and a family of five. As per the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), before the fatal crash, the helicopter broke into three parts.

The NTSB’s preliminary report unveiled that surveillance footage and audio recordings captured the Bell 206 chopper heading south before it fragmented into three major sections. The pilot, Seankese Carrell Johnson, along with Agustín Escobar, his wife, and their three young children, lost their lives in the devastating crash.

Authorities have now disclosed more details regarding the unfortunate helicopter crash in April. The NTSB report indicated that the helicopter split into multiple parts, with the fuselage, containing the engine, main rotor system, and tail boom, being recovered. The fuselage was found inverted north of the Holland Tunnel ventilation towers, with the water depth recorded at approximately 6 feet.

Further investigations located other segments of the helicopter submerged at a depth of around 30 feet, while additional debris was found both on the river’s surface and on the rooftop near the transit building in Hoboken, New Jersey.

The report highlighted that the helicopter did not have any video or data recording devices onboard. Although the pilot was observed wearing computer-augmented sunglasses capable of recording video and audio, those glasses were not retrieved after the crash. Investigators noted that at the time of the incident, Johnson was on his first day back from a “10 days on/10 days off” schedule, and it was the eighth tour of the day, all flown by Johnson.

The Escobar family, consisting of Agustín Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three children aged 10, 9, and 4, were visiting New York City from Spain when the tragedy occurred. A funeral service was held for them in Barcelona on Tuesday, April 22.

Following the crash, on April 14, the sightseeing company operating the helicopter received an emergency order of suspension from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Director of Operations of NY Helicopter agreed to halt operations until further investigations were conducted.

As the preliminary report by the NTSB does not attribute a specific cause to the crash, it is anticipated that a final report will be released after several months. The tragic incident has raised questions about helicopter tour safety and the necessity for stringent regulations to prevent such heartbreaking accidents from occurring in the future.

The repercussions of the helicopter crash continue to reverberate through affected families and the aviation industry, emphasizing the critical importance of safety measures and thorough investigations to ensure the well-being of passengers and crew members on all flights.