NYC helicopter crash newest: Authorities examine how chopper ‘fell into pieces’ killing Siemens govt and household
The witnesses to a fatal helicopter crash in New York City’s Hudson River have recalled seeing the chopper break apart in mid-air before nosediving into the river in a “loud crash”.
All six people on board the helicopter died, including a Spanish family-of-five and the helicopter’s pilot. Siemens executive Agustin Escobar and his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal – also employed by Siemens and with close familial links to FC Barcelona – died alongside their three young children.
The cause of the disaster remains unclear, with witnesses recalling seeing the helicopter breaking apart in mid-air before plunging into the river. Experts believe a freak mechanical failure was behind the crash.
Bruce Wall, 28, described seeing the chopper “falling apart probably 15 feet before it actually fell and then the tail whipped off” and hearing the sound of “something breaking apart in mid-air,” according to the New York Times.
“The helicopter was still pretty loud and then just a loud, loud crash into water,” he added.
An unnamed woman said the “helicopter was a little bit nose down slightly, it kept spinning in the air” in quotes broadcast by BBC Radio 4.
President Donald Trump has offered his condolences and the National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation.
Helicopter plunged into water in ‘several pieces’, says witness
Witnesses have recalled seeing the helicopter plunge in “several pieces” into the Hudson River.
Dani Horbiak was at her Jersey City home when she heard what sounded like “several gunshots in a row, almost, in the air”.
Looking out of the window, she saw the chopper “splash in several pieces into the river”.
Lesley Camacho, a hostess at a restaurant along the river in Hoboken, New Jersey, recalled the helicopter spinning uncontrollable with “a bunch of smoke coming out” before slamming into the water.
‘Obviously mechanical failure’, says pilot of same helicopter model
Dan Rice, who frequently flies in the same model of helicopter as the one which plummeted into the Hudson River, has said it was “obviously a catastrophic failure” which caused the crash.
Speaking to CBS News, he said: “Obviously, a catastrophic failure of the aircraft. That’s very obvious. Booms and noises like that indicate some sort of mechanical issue.”
“There’s one video in particular where you see the main component of the helicopter, the fuselage, upside down,” he added. “And what struck me, what scared me, is the main rotor system was gone.
“There’s no main rotor on the helicopter. And the tail boom was also gone, and it’s just a vessel at that point with no direction.”
Rice said he “can’t imagine” what could have led to the tail rotor – the system which prevents the helicopter spinning out of control – from falling off.
“We’ll wait for the investigation to give us those details, but from what I’ve seen, separation of the blades is what caused this chopper to go down. What led to the separation is what we have to find out,” he added.
In pictures: The horror crash which has shocked New York City
Lawmaker pushes ban on sightseeing helicopter tours after family dies in crash
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal has called for a ban on sightseeing helicopter tours, saying we were “minutes” from disaster had the chopper crashed into the densely-populated ground.
Including the crash on Thursday, 25 people have died in New York City in helicopter sightseeing incidents – all of whom have been onboard the aircraft.
“We averted disaster possibly by just minutes. And that is the concern here. Which is if a helicopter gets in trouble in a densely populated area like Manhattan, the disaster could be far worse,” Hoylman-Sigal said according to ABC 7 New York.
“There’s no reason to allow tourists and tour flight operators to use our valuable precious airspace,” he said, adding: “the danger is that FAA regulates airspace above 500 feet, so the city and state are prohibited from passing laws that make tourist choppers safer. “
The senator has been trying to limit helicopter traffic over the city to first responders, news and necessary transport.
Sightseeing tourist helicopter broke apart midair before plunging into Hudson River: Full timeline
A sightseeing tourist helicopter has broken apart midair before plunging into the Hudson River, killing the family of five and pilot on board in the latest horror US aviation disaster.
At around 3.15pm on Thursday, the Bell 206 LongRanger plummeted from the sky and crashed upside-down in the river that divides New York City from New Jersey off the west coast of Manhattan.
Officials confirmed the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists, including three children, died in the tragedy, after FlightRadar24 showed the helicopter had taken off from Manhattan heliport on a sightseeing tour.
Katie Hawkinson, Oliver O’Connell and Tara Cobham cover everything we know so far about the crash:
Eight-year-old child’s birthday was on Friday, says NYC mayor
New York City mayor Eric Adams has confirmed the children who tragically died in the helicopter crash were aged 4, 8 and 10, following a number of conflicting reports.
The eight-year-old’s birthday was on Friday, Adams said.
“So this is probably part of the normal tourist attraction of seeing the city from the skyline,” he told Fox 5 New York. “But it’s just a real unfortunate situation. And our heart goes out to the family members.”
Same helicopter company had crash land in 2013
The same company which owns the downed helicopter from Thursday’s crash owned a chopper involved in another crash – in the same river.
A Bell 206 helicopter carrying four Swedish tourists in 2013 lost power and made an emergency landing in the river. It belonged to New York Helicopter Charter.
The pilot and four family members all survived without any injuries reported, after the aircrafts pontoons were deployed before the helicopter landed in the water, the New York Post reported.
Spanish family were celebrating mother’s 40th birthday, says Jersey City mayor
The Mayor of New Jersey has said the Spanish family-of-five were celebrating the mother’s 40th birthday.
New York City mayor Eric Adams and media reports in the US and Spain have both claimed one of the children was celebrating a birthday – it is currently unclear whether both are true.
“The Husband was here for a business trip and the family flew out to extend the trip a couple days in NYC,” Steven Fulop said.
“They were celebrating the mom’s 40th bday with the tourist helicopter flight yesterday. The kids were all 11yo and younger.
“The brother in law is flying in this morning and we are working with ME to expedite release of the family to fly back to Spain.
“Take a moment today and think about this family and your family. These situations are always very difficult and sad,” Fulop added.
Source: independent.co.uk
