Dive groups are returning to the Hudson River at the moment to try to recuperate the ultimate items of wreckage from Thursday’s deadly helicopter crash.
Specialists say one of many lacking elements might be the important thing to determining what prompted the sightseeing helicopter to plunge into the water after taking off from New York Metropolis, killing all six individuals on board.
Investigation might hinge on restoration of lacking helicopter elements
The investigation into the lethal helicopter crash will take time, even after the lacking elements are discovered, Nationwide Transportation Security Board Chair Jennifer Homendy mentioned.
Dive crews labored into the evening Friday, as extra wreckage was pulled from the murky water. However they’re nonetheless on the lookout for, “The principle rotor, the principle transmission, the roof construction and the tail construction,” Homendy mentioned throughout a press convention.
The helicopter’s major physique landed in about 5-foot-deep water, however some elements could have fallen the place it is 75 ft deep and visibility is low, Homendy mentioned.
Discovering the principle rotor will be the key to the investigation, based on aviation consultants.
“Should you picked up the rotor head, you may take a look at the bolts on that and you may inform in the event that they sheared away earlier than the plane hit,” Captain Joe Farrell, with Resolve Marine Group, mentioned.
Thus far, there are extra questions than solutions after the chopper went down into the river close to Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey.
“Three working theories. There was the birds dialogue, there was drone dialogue, and mechanical failure dialogue,” Jersey Metropolis Mayor Steven Fulop mentioned.
What the preliminary investigation discovered
Authorities mentioned the helicopter was taking Siemens govt Agustin Escobar Canadas and his household on a tour of the New York Metropolis skyline Thursday afternoon.
A preliminary investigation mentioned a rotor could have damaged off, inflicting the helicopter to shake uncontrollably earlier than it crashed within the water.
Escobar Canadas, 49, Mercè Campruví Montal, 39, Victor Escobar Campruvi, 4, Mercedes Escobar Campruvi, 9, and a nonetheless unidentified little one had been killed, together with the pilot, 36-year-old Sean Johnson, a U.S. Navy veteran.
“We do have the log books for the pilot. The pilot held a industrial pilot certificates with rotor craft and instrument scores,” Homendy mentioned.
The Related Press experiences 38 individuals have died in helicopter crashes in New York Metropolis since 1977.
“The FAA wants to essentially step up at this second to offer further oversight. There was a report from the [NTSB] that mentioned these particular helicopters have a loophole the place they needn’t have the identical kind of regulation as different revenue-generated aircrafts,” New York Metropolis Councilman Christopher Marte mentioned.
The NTSB mentioned it is not going to speculate on what prompted the crash.
Mark Prussin
contributed to this report.
Extra from CBS Information
John Dias
