INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
them crashed off the New Jersey shoreline, killing them and the pilot.Spectators watched the helicopter as it dropped from the sky and
his family, according to a law enforcement official
The family was visiting from Spain, New York Mayor Eric Adams said during a news conference Thursday
CNN has reached out to the US Coast Guard for more information on the victims.While not much is known about why the helicopter crashed, its
staggering descent from the sky shocked witnesses as first responders did what they could to rescue the victims.At 3:17 p.m., multiple 911
calls reported a helicopter crash in the Hudson River near the New Jersey coastline at Pier A Park in Hoboken, New York Police Department
Commissioner Jessica Tisch said
When first responders arrived, police pulled four people out of the water and FDNY pulled out two people, she said.Four victims were
declared dead on scene and an additional two people were taken to local hospitals, Tisch said
of maintenance declined to comment
It was built in 2004 and had an airworthiness certificate issued in 2016 that was good until 2029, according to Federal Aviation
There was no information immediately available on the pilot, according to Adams.The helicopter took off from the downtown Manhattan heliport
at 2:59 p.m., where it flew south before turning to fly north along the Manhattan shoreline, up the Hudson River, Tisch said
At 3:08 p.m., the helicopter reached the George Washington Bridge and then turned to fly south along the New Jersey shoreline, where shortly
after it lost control, she said.When the helicopter hit the water, officials believe it was inverted, leaving the cabin visible in the
Reports that the helicopter stopped in mid-air and pieces of the helicopter were falling off before it hit the water is consistent with 911
The cause of the crash is under investigation, she said.The helicopter flew for about 16 minutes before going down into the water, according
to analysis by CNN and flight tracking site FlightRadar 24.The flight path reflects much of what officials said, showing the aircraft took
off from lower Manhattan and did a circle near the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge at
At that point it turned back south, ultimately coming to rest in the water near New Jersey.The path up the Hudson is a popular sightseeing
route.When the helicopter crashed, it was cloudy with winds around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph according to various weather reports
the region this afternoon and evening.Helicopters on an air traffic control frequency were asked to look for anyone in the water following
causeThe Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it is investigating the situation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board
The NTSB is leading the investigation and will provide updates.The helicopter was in the Special Flight Rules Area in New York, where no air
traffic control services are provided, Secretary Duffy said in a post on X Thursday
Several minutes before entering that area, air traffic control from LaGuardia Airport was providing support, he said.The National
all the work that had been done on the aircraft
from May 2023 required the testing and possible replacement of tail rotor drive shafts on eight different Bell 206L models, including the
That directive was prompted by an incident in which a Bell 206L helicopter experienced the loss of a tail-rotor drive due to a joint
failure.The FAA also issued a December 2022 airworthiness directive on Bell 206L models with specific parts, requiring inspection and
to material fatigue, damage (from bird strikes, for example), or manufacturing errors, potentially leading the rotor blade to fail.The
helicopter that crashed in the Hudson River was built in 2004 and had an airworthiness certificate issued in 2016 that was valid until 2029,
