New York helicopter crash and Florida small plane crash latest details: Investigators returned to the site of a deadly helicopter crash on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River today, and we are now learning more about the victims on board. Fox’s Eric Shawn has the latest.
Divers returned to recover pieces of a helicopter that fell apart mid-air and plunged into the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday. All six people on board are dead, including a family of five visiting from Spain. The mayor of Jersey City said Friday morning the family was celebrating the mom’s 40th birthday when the crash happened.
The NTSB and FAA are now investigating what went wrong. “What we are doing here is gathering the perishable evidence, the evidence that we need to gather for our investigation,” said an official.
The helicopter was operated by New York Helicopter Tours, and radar reports show it was in the air for less than 18 minutes. Just minutes before the crash, investigators say the pilot radioed in, alerting the team on the ground that he was going to need to land right away to refuel.
“We have a whole team that is collecting the standard information – pilot qualifications, logbooks, history of the helicopter maintenance,” officials stated. The FAA identified the helicopter involved as a Bell 206, typically used by sightseeing companies and police. A chopper of that same model lost power and made an emergency landing on the Hudson back in 2013.
While investigations are underway, aviation experts say recent maintenance will likely be a focus to see if everything was done to the exacting standards that are supposed to be followed. Videos appear to show the main rotor blade detached from the fuselage of the helicopter in mid-air. That’s all part of the investigation.
Now to Boca Raton, Florida, where a small plane crashed, killing all three people on board. The plane went down a short time after taking off from Boca Raton Airport. It was headed to Tallahassee.
We’re told a person in a car was injured when he hit a tree while trying to avoid the debris and fire from that crash on a highway. First responders say the plane blew up when it hit the ground and pushed a car onto railroad tracks.
Source: raialkhalij + aljazeera