Emergency crews on the scene of the helicopter crash within the East River, the place 5 members of a Spanish household misplaced their lives.
Credit score : X, @hernandezlg
The sightseeing helicopter that crashed into the East River final Thursday, killing 5 members of a Spanish household, had already proven indicators of bother—lengthy earlier than it ever took off on that tragic flight.
The plane, a Bell 206L-4 Lengthy Ranger IV, had mechanical points with its transmission system again in September, based on US aviation data. Inbuilt 2004, it had logged over 12,700 hours within the air when it was taken in for repairs. The corporate that owned and operated it, New York Helicopter, hasn’t commented but—however the FAA information raises critical considerations.
It’s now turning into clear that this wasn’t only a sudden, out-of-the-blue accident. There have been warning indicators.
Helicopter crash investigation raises considerations over security and upkeep
In the mean time, US authorities are taking a look at every thing: the pilot’s background, the corporate behind the tour, and how much upkeep was truly carried out on the plane. The Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) has additionally confirmed that some essential elements of the helicopter—together with the rotors—are nonetheless lacking.
What makes this much more worrying is that the FAA had issued two security alerts for this precise mannequin of helicopter. One, in late 2022, targeted on the principle rotor blades, which have been prone to ‘delaminating’—mainly, the layers may peel aside, particularly if the blades have been worn out or broken. For those who’re flying, that’s the form of failure you don’t stroll away from.
Then in Might 2023, one other alert flagged points with the tail rotor system, after an identical helicopter misplaced a part of its tail mid-air. The Bell 206L mannequin concerned in final week’s crash was on that listing too.
Lacking helicopter rotors may maintain key to NYC crash investigation
NYPD divers are nonetheless looking for items of the helicopter. With out the principle and tail rotors, it’s arduous for investigators to get the total image. On Friday, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy confirmed that these elements are nonetheless lacking.
Till they’re recovered, it’s not possible to say precisely what went unsuitable. However one factor is already clear: this plane had a historical past, and the tragedy that unfolded final week won’t have been as unforeseeable because it first appeared.
Now, the households and the general public are left ready—for solutions, for accountability, and for the reality behind a crash that by no means ought to’ve occurred.
Learn extra information from the U.S.
