Helicopter in NYC broke apart midair before crash that resulted in 6 fatalities, according to a new report.

Federal authorities have released new images illustrating the tragic helicopter crash that occurred in the Hudson River in New York City last month. The visuals, derived from surveillance footage, form part of a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the ill-fated sightseeing flight that resulted in the deaths of six individuals on April 10.

The images depict critical moments when the helicopter disintegrated in midair, breaking into three distinct sections: the fuselage, the main rotor system, and the tail boom. Eyewitness accounts corroborate this sequence, with several witnesses recounting loud ‘bangs’ that erupted from the helicopter before its catastrophic descent into the river.

At the time of the incident, the Bell 206L-4 helicopter had accumulated approximately 50 hours of operation since its last inspection conducted on February 27. The total flight hours for the helicopter’s airframe approached 13,000, while its engine boasted over 23,000 hours of usage. Aviation records indicate that the helicopter was manufactured in 2004 and had previously experienced maintenance issues pertaining to its transmission assembly in September of the preceding year.

The preliminary report reveals that the aircraft, operated by New York Helicopter, lacked any video or data recording devices. However, newly surfaced images indicate that the pilot, Seankese Johnson, was utilizing computer-augmented sunglasses capable of video and audio documentation, although these glasses have not yet been recovered.

Johnson, 36, a former Navy SEAL, had received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023 and logged 790 hours of flight experience, with fewer than 50 hours in the specific model of the helicopter involved in this incident. Notably, the flight represented his first day back after a 10-day break, and it was the eighth tour flight conducted by Johnson that day.

The helicopter was on a standard tour path, having departed from the downtown heliport near Wall Street at approximately 3 p.m., heading north along the Manhattan skyline before turning southward toward the Statue of Liberty. Witnesses reported that within 18 minutes, the helicopter’s tail and main rotor separated, with smoke streaming from the aircraft.

In the wake of this tragedy, concerns have resurfaced regarding the safety of helicopter tours in New York City. There are calls from longstanding opponents to impose restrictions on so-called “nonessential” helicopter flights, which include around 30,000 annual sightseeing tours. Despite these concerns, Mayor Eric Adams has expressed his opposition to further limitations on these flights.

The April 10 crash is part of a troubling pattern; since 2005, five commercial sightseeing helicopters have perished in the rivers around Manhattan due to various causes, including mechanical failures and pilot errors, accounting for a total of 20 fatalities.

Among the victims of this recent tragedy were Agustín Escobar, 49, a global CEO at Siemens Mobility, alongside his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The family, hailing from Barcelona, Spain, was in New York for a family reunion, with Mercedes set to celebrate her ninth birthday the day after the accident. Escobar was reportedly in the region for work purposes.

As investigations continue, New York Helicopter has stated its commitment to cooperating with authorities, although attempts to reach the company for further comments have so far been unsuccessful.