Tourist helicopter suddenly broke apart and crashed into the Hudson River, NTSB preliminary report finds

By Alexandra Skores, CNN

Washington (CNN) — The sightseeing helicopter that plunged in the Hudson River and killed six people in April “suddenly separated into three major sections,” a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board released Wednesday found.

A family of five and the pilot were on a sightseeing excursion on April 10. During the flight they flew a “teardrop pattern south of the Statue of Liberty” and then went north along the east shore of the Hudson River, past the George Washington Bridge before performing a U-turn toward the New Jersey, the NTSB said. The helicopter’s altitude increased to 675 feet before it began a rapid, deadly descent.

Several witnesses heard many “loud bangs emanating from the helicopter before it broke up and descended into the river,” according to the NTSB.

Three major sections were identified in the wreckage: the fuselage with the engine; the main rotor system with both rotor blades, transmission and roof-beam structure; and the tail boom which includes the tail rotor.

Debris from the helicopter was found submerged in the water but also floating on the surface of the river and on a rooftop near the Hoboken Terminal, a major New Jersey transit hub.

No video or data recording devices were in the helicopter. The pilot was wearing computer-augmented sunglasses, which had video and audio recording capability, but the glasses were not recovered.

The pilot worked a 10 days on, 10 days off schedule and the crash occurred during his first day back at work. The flight was his eighth tour excursion of the day on the same helicopter.

The preliminary report does not draw a conclusion as to what caused the crash. A probable cause will be determined in the NTSB’s final report which usually takes about a year to complete.

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