On Thursday, April 10th, the Bell 206 helicopter fell into the Hudson River, in Manhattan, in the state of New York. The engine crashed 16 minutes after takeoff. It killed six people, including three children. The rotor blades, which are the spinning pieces on top of the helicopter, detached from the engine. Without it, the aircraft could not work anymore.
The victims were a family from Spain, except the 36-year-old pilot. The family included the couple of Merce Camprubi Montal and Agustin Escobar, adding their children of 4, 8, and 10 years old. Nobody survived.
A witness named Sarah Jane Raymond Ryer said, “The helicopter was a little bit like nose down, slightly, and I saw the propeller separating from the helicopter. It kept spinning in the air alone. Nothing was attached to it,”.
The engine was following a familiar route. It was turning around the Statue of Liberty, going North, following the Hudson River until the George Washington Bridge, and finally turning South. The accident occurred after the helicopter was passing above the Holland Tunnel, a while after its u-turn at the George Washington Bridge.
According to the FAA, New York Helicopter Charter Inc., the company that was doing these helicopter tours, no longer runs operations since Sunday, April 13th.
“The FAA is taking this action in part because after the company’s director of operations voluntarily shut down flights, he was fired,” declared the FAA.
An investigation about the activities of the company is in progress.”The agency also began a comprehensive review of the company’s operations. The review, known as a Certificate Holder Evaluation Program (CHEP), determines whether an operator complies with applicable regulations and effectively manages safety, and identifies hazards and risks so the FAA and operator can mitigate them.”
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, March 1st was the last time the engine was inspected.
The NTSB mentioned that the main structure (the cabin and the cockpit) was recovered a short time after the tragedy. Moreover, the part that fell from the helicopter, the rotor blades, were found in the river a week later.
