Following a harrowing and deadly New York City sightseeing helicopter crash last month, federal officials have released a series of still images that capture the terrifying moment of the aircraft breaking apart in midair.
The images, taken from surveillance camera video, illustrate the fuselage containing the engine and rotors separating from the helicopter’s tail, followed by the rotor blades and the transmission detaching from the cabin carrying the passengers and the pilot. According to an initial report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), several witnesses described hearing loud “bangs” before the helicopter broke up and descended into the river.
Aviation experts such as Justin Green, an aviation lawyer and former Marine helicopter pilot, have scrutinized the sequence of images and suggested that the helicopter yawed severely before the tail boom failed, indicating that it was most likely struck by the aircraft’s main rotor blades during flight, underscoring an apparent mechanical issue that precipitated the breakup.
The NTSB report revealed that at the time of the crash, the helicopter had operated about 50 hours since its last inspection on Feb. 27. The helicopter’s airframe had accrued nearly 13,000 total hours of operation, with the engine accruing more than 23,000 hours. Moreover, Federal Aviation Administration records show the aircraft had a maintenance issue involving its transmission assembly last September.
At the time of the crash, the helicopter was operated by tour company New York Helicopter. Although the aircraft was not equipped with any video or data recording devices, it was revealed that the pilot, Seankese Johnson, was wearing computer-augmented sunglasses, which would have had video and audio recording capability, though the glasses have not been recovered. Johnson, a former Navy SEAL, had just over 790 hours of flight time. Yet, the NTSB report indicated that he had fewer than 50 hours of flight in that type of aircraft, raising questions about his experience in flying a Bell 206L-4.
Moreover, the report highlighted that Johnson worked a “10 days on/10 days off schedule,” and the day of the crash was his first day back after 10 days off. The flight was also the pilot’s eighth on that day, raising concerns about fatigue and workload on the day of the accident, particularly for a pilot who may not have been particularly experienced flying this specific type of aircraft.
In the wake of the crash, New York Helicopter has faced scrutiny. The company recently underwent bankruptcy and had legal issues related to alleged debts. With the tragedy adding to a sequence of aircraft disasters and close calls in the U.S., it has also reignited discussions about the safety of aerial tours over New York City. Notably, five commercial sightseeing helicopters have crashed in the rivers around Manhattan since 2005 due to various reasons, from mechanical failures to pilot errors and collisions.
Tragically, the April 10 crash claimed the lives of a prominent family, including Agustín Escobar, 49; Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39; and their children Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10, who were in the New York area on business and to meet Escobar and were killed in the crash. The devastating loss underscored the human toll resulting from the crash and highlighted the need for a thorough investigation.
