On Thursday, a helicopter traveling to a scenic spots crashed in the Hudson River near New Jersey Shor, killing all six people – a Spanish family and pilot of five, an US Navy veterans.
The National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, which is still in its early stages. Officials say the aircraft separated from the mid-hwa, and some major parts are still missing.
The incident is part of a range of aviation accidents in the US in recent months, increasing widespread concerns about air travel safety in the country.
Sudden tragedy
The accident occurred 20 minutes after the take-off from Manhattan Helipport.
Witnesses described the smoke from the aircraft and parts falling into the Hudson River before the helicopter was slammed into the water. Divers and rescue boats reached the spot and recovered the debris by evening.
The helicopter company, the New York Helicopter said it had no idea what the cause of the accident was.
Who were the victims?
Passengers were identified as Agustin Escobar, who were 49 -year -old Siemens executive; His wife, Merce Camprub Montal, 39; And their children – Victor, 4; Mercedes, 8; And Augustin, 10. He traveled to New York to join Escobar during his work journey.
Pilot was a 36 -year -old Seenakies Johnson, an experienced Navy, who recently moved to New York. He logged in for around 800 flight hours and earned his commercial license in 2023.
What happened?
So far, investigators have not confirmed what is the cause of mid-air breakup. The NTSB president said that they would not get speculation, while some parts like rotors and transmission are missing, reported the news agency Associated Press.
However, experts believe that a mechanical failure may have motivated the main rotar to hit the tail, making the aircraft separate. An aviation lawyer also noted that the video suggests a terrible failure that gave the pilot no chance to gain control.
The owner of the New York helicopter admitted that he was amazed, “These are machines, and they break up.”
History of a troubled company
The New York helicopter had a bumpy past. In 2013, one of its helicopters lost electricity, although the pilot took it safely on Hudson.
It has declared bankrupt first and is still facing cases on unpaid loans.
The helicopter involved in Thursday’s accident was made in 2004 and was a transmission issue in 2023. FAA records suggest that it exceeded more than 12,700 flight hours.
Aviation security under investigation
This phenomenon is the latest in a worrying trend. Since 1977, at least 38 people have died in helicopter cracks in New York City. The 2018 East River Crash killed five people, and one died in a roof collision in 2019. Somewhere else in the US, many deadly accidents have been seen in recent months, including a midar collision and a medical aircraft accident.
