Helicopter that crashed in Hudson had no flight recorders, already flew seven times that day, claim investigators

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A helicopter carrying a Spanish family of five and a pilot crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday, resulting in six fatalities. The Bell 206 L-4 had completed seven tour flights earlier that day and lacked flight recording equipment. Investigators are analyzing recovered wreckage to determine the cause of the tragic incident, which occurred during a sightseeing expedition.

The ill-fated helicopter that plunged into the Hudson River on Thursday, resulting in six deaths, had reportedly already completed seven flights that day and lacked flight recording equipment.

The Bell 206 L-4 aircraft had conducted seven tour excursions before embarking on its final Hudson River journey, which ended in tragedy, claiming the lives of five family members and the pilot, as reported by the NY Post quoting the National Transportation Safety Board on Saturday evening.

Also read: Video shows tourist helicopter ‘falling apart’ midair, splashing into Hudson river in NYC

Officials confirmed the aircraft operated without flight recorders, and no video or camera equipment has been located at the crash site. Additionally, investigators have been unable to recover any audio recordings from the aircraft’s systems.

A significant portion of the wreckage has been retrieved, including the cockpit, cabin, forward tail boom section, horizontal stabiliser finlets, and vertical fin, according to the NTSB statement. The main rotor blades remain unaccounted for.

All recovered debris is being sent to NTSB facilities in Washington DC for thorough analysis, whilst investigators continue to work towards determining the cause of the incident.

Earlier reports about the crash indicated experts claiming that a mechanical failure may have caused the main rotors to hit the tail, breaking the aircraft apart. An aviation lawyer also noted the video suggests a catastrophic failure that gave the pilot no chance to regain control.

Another report revealed that the tragedy pointed to the mismanagement of the private company New York Helicopter Tour as helicopter had reported a mechanical issue months before. The aircraft owned and operated by New York Helicopter, experienced a mechanical issue with its transmission assembly last September, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. Records show the doomed chopper was built in 2004 and had already logged 12,728 hours of flight time when it was forced into repair.

The aircraft’s most recent comprehensive inspection was completed on March 1.

The investigation revolves around the helicopter that was midway through a sightseeing expedition along the Hudson River on Thursday, carrying Spanish tourists, when it suddenly descended and crashed into the cold waters.

The Spanish family – Augustin Escobar, Merce Montal, and their children Augustin (10), Mercedes (8), and Victor (4) – along with Navy veteran pilot Sean Johnson, all lost their lives in the incident.

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