Introduction to the Incident
Federal investigators say the sightseeing helicopter carrying a pilot and family of five visiting from Spain that crashed into the Hudson River last week was not equipped with any recording devices.
In a written statement released over the weekend, the National Transportation Safety Board said, "No onboard video recorders or camera recorders have been recovered and none of the helicopter avionics onboard recorded information that could be used for the investigation."
Ongoing Investigation
Divers from the NYPD continued their search into Sunday for the helicopter’s main rotor, main gear box, tail rotor and large portion of the tail boom, according to the NTSB. Since Thursday’s crash, the main fuselage, including the cockpit and cabin, as well as the forward portion of the tail boom and have been recovered from the river.
The Bell 206 L-4 helicopter flown by New York Helicopter Charter Inc., had received a "major inspection" back on March 1, the NTSB said. The chopper was in the middle of its eighth flight of the day at the time of the crash.
Details of the Crash
The helicopter took off from a downtown heliport at around 3 p.m. and flew north along the Manhattan skyline before heading south toward the Statue of Liberty. Less than 18 minutes into the flight, parts of the aircraft were seen tumbling into the water.
Witnesses described seeing the helicopter’s tail and main rotor breaking away and smoke pouring from the spinning chopper before it slammed into the water.
Reaction from the Helicopter Company
Michael Roth, who owns the helicopter company, New York Helicopter, told The New York Post that he doesn’t know what went wrong with the aircraft.
“The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter,” he said, noting that he had never seen such a thing happen in his 30 years in the business, but that, “These are machines, and they break.”
Victims of the Crash
The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. Mercedes would have turned 9 on Friday, officials said.
The pilot was Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023. He had logged about 800 hours of flight time as of March, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters Friday.
Call for Action
The Hudson crash is bringing fresh scrutiny to the safety of private helicopter flights around New York City.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, at a Sunday morning news conference, called on the Federal Aviation Administration to suspended New York Helicopter’s license until the feds have completed their investigation of the crash.
“One of the things we can do to honor these lives is to try and save others, because if there is one thing we know for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: they have a deadly track record, and it is usually the companies—not the pilots—that are openly manipulating federal FAA rules, cutting corners and putting profits over people," the New York Democrat said.
Conclusion
The crash of the helicopter into the Hudson River has raised significant concerns about the safety of sightseeing flights in the area. The lack of recording devices on the helicopter has hindered the investigation, but efforts are being made to recover as much of the wreckage as possible. The incident has also led to calls for greater scrutiny of helicopter tour companies and their adherence to safety regulations.
FAQs
Q: What happened to the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River?
A: The helicopter, a Bell 206 L-4, crashed into the Hudson River after taking off from a downtown heliport, killing all six people on board.
Q: Were there any recording devices on the helicopter?
A: No, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, there were no onboard video recorders or camera recorders on the helicopter.
Q: What is being done to investigate the crash?
A: Divers from the NYPD are searching for parts of the helicopter, including the main rotor and tail boom, and the NTSB is leading the investigation.
Q: Have there been any calls for action following the crash?
A: Yes, Sen. Chuck Schumer has called on the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend New York Helicopter’s license until the investigation is complete.
