Investigators say they’re “looking into” experiences a big flock of birds was seen earlier than a lethal helicopter crash in New York Metropolis.
The helicopter’s pilot and a household of 5 Spanish vacationers, together with three kids, had been killed within the crash within the Hudson river at round 3.17pm on Thursday.
Agustin Escobar, a Siemens government, and his spouse Camprubi Montal had booked the helicopter tour to have fun their eight-year-old kid’s birthday.
Giving an replace on the investigation into the crash, Nationwide Transportation Security Board chair Jennifer Homendy mentioned no preliminary trigger had been decided.
Requested about experiences a big flock of birds was seen within the space shortly earlier than the crash, she mentioned: “We’re conscious of these experiences, we mentioned it this morning.
“It’s something we are looking into. What I would say to the public is that if something struck you as different or made you pause, or it crossed your mind that you might want to share with our investigators, there is no downside in sharing that information with us.”
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The helicopter was submerged the other way up within the Hudson. Pic: Reuters
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A crane lifted out the wreckage on Thursday night. Pic: AP
Ms Homendy mentioned divers are nonetheless recovering elements of the helicopter from the Hudson – and revealed the pilot had logged greater than 780 hours of flight time.
Earlier, New York Police commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned divers had recovered all these on board from the helicopter, which was the other way up within the water.
“Four victims were pronounced dead on scene and two more were removed to local area hospitals, where sadly both succumbed to their injuries,” she mentioned.
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“An unimaginable tragedy. I share the grief of the victims’ loved ones at this heartbreaking time,” he wrote on X.
Rotor blade ‘flew off’
The plane was on a vacationer flight of Manhattan, run by the New York Helicopters firm.
Witnesses described seeing the principle rotor blade flying off moments earlier than it dropped out of the sky.
Picture:
Agustin Escobar and Merce Camprubi Montal.
Pic: Fb
Lesly Camacho, a employee at a restaurant alongside the river in Hoboken, mentioned she noticed the helicopter spinning uncontrollably earlier than it slammed into the water.
“There was a bunch of smoke coming out. It was spinning pretty fast, and it landed in the water really hard,” she mentioned.
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0:55
Witness noticed ‘elements flying off’ helicopter
One other witness mentioned “the chopper blade flew off”.
Video on social media confirmed elements of the Bell 206 helicopter tumbling by means of the air and touchdown within the river.
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1:59
New York mayor confirms six useless
Picture:
The crash occurred close to Pier 40. Pic: AP
The crash occurred near Pier 40 and the Holland tunnel, which hyperlinks decrease Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood with Jersey Metropolis to its west.
Monitoring service Flight Radar 24 printed what it mentioned was the helicopter’s route, with the plane showing to be within the sky for quarter-hour earlier than the crash.
Picture:
Agustin Escobar.
Pic: Europa Press/AP
Thursday’s incident comes lower than three months after 67 individuals died when a military helicopter and American Airways jet collided over the Potomac River in Washington DC.
