Tragic helicopter crash in NYC: Missing black box and fuel issues
The United States is still reeling from the plane crash that occurred in New York. It was intended to be a standard tourist flight, but unfortunately, it ended with the death of six people. American media outlets are revealing new information about the condition of the aircraft. It is already known that there was no flight recorder, or so-called black box.
The Bell 206 L-4 helicopter crashed in the Hudson River and was on its eighth flight that day. On board was a family from Spain and the pilot, Navy veteran Sean Johnson. Tragically, all of them perished. According to the "New York Post," citing information from the National Transportation Safety Board, the aircraft was not equipped with a flight recorder or cameras.
Moreover, investigators reported that no audio recordings from the helicopter's cockpit were found. Most of the wreckage, including the cockpit and cabin, has been retrieved and transported to laboratories in Washington, D.C.
The main rotor blades have yet to be found. The last inspection of the aircraft took place on 1 March. The investigation into the causes of the crash is still ongoing.
The helicopter was partway through its flight. It is also known that the pilot had requested to land due to low fuel. Prior to this, it was determined that the helicopter had issues with the gearbox as early as September of last year. The helicopter was manufactured in 2004 and had a certificate of airworthiness issued in 2016, valid until 2029.
The helicopter was on a sightseeing tour over the Hudson River when it crashed. On board was a family from Spain: Augustin, Merce, and their children—Augustin, Mercedes, and Victor. The parents were international executives at Siemens Mobility. They had flown to New York a few hours earlier to celebrate a child's birthday.
I’m absolutely devastated. The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter. And I haven’t seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business – said Michael Roth, head of the company organising flights over New York, as quoted by the "New York Post".
