Tragic Helicopter Crash NYC
 

Six dead. Family of five and the pilot. Looks like the help broke apart, possible multiple bird strike. Godspeed

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://abc7ny.com/post/nypd-responding-helicopter-hudson-river/16153664/&ved=2ahUKEwjX3vTfyc6MAxX5ElkFHQhxD-8QFnoECEkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2F2JA2JWA570REniz9IiTr

The video of that 206 inverted without rotor or tail was heartbreaking.

Video on twitter, entire rotor falling one way, main body going another, tail going another.

Going to be a maintenance issue.

Not to be callous but those tourist helicopters in NYC have form when it comes to crashing in the river.

I went on one flying out of the east side about 30 years ago before I knew better. I’m not sure I’d do it again.

Bad enough to hear the story, no way I watch it

Godspeed to the Spanish family and pilot. Not that there is anything good about this, but at least all 5 went out together.

Something called ‘mast bumping”



https://x.com/liberty_clarion/status/1910449795048821148?s=61

Fascinating.

Would mast bumping or a control error result in the tail being cut off and the blades separating (looked intact from video) from the helicopter?

Or maybe it was the Jesus nut that came loose, causing the blades to cut the tail off and fall separately?

Thoughts and prayers for the family. That had to be terrifying for everyone on board

I think it was a Bell 206. I’m not a helicopter guy but I’ve seen multiple reports that mast bumping was to blame. Interested to hear Seahawk’s take.

Hard to say. Like the route in DC, I have flown the Hudson River route many times when I was at the Sikorsky Factory. The route is, or was when I flew it, self-reporting at specific geographic land marks. It is a spectacular flight.

In all the times I have flown that route, I never saw any of the many tourist and VIP helicopters "flat hat" to any significant degree, let alone a flight regime that may cause a mast bump.

Mast bumping requires some significant flight control inputs to occasion...the video link is excellent, btw. I have over 200 hours in a Jet Ranger during flight school, to include full autos, etc. and we were always aware of the "bump" risk and how to avoid it.

No other opinions. I hope they find the main rotor for any maintenance issues.

I don't mean to sound too clinical after such a tragedy...Descansa en paz mi amigos.

206 Long Ranger

Just seen another video. You can see the whole rotor assembly and upper gearbox falling next the the copter.

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That video is hard to watch.
Is it just my perception, or do helicopters tend to land upside down when something goes haywire? It seems I've seen several photos of the bottoms of helicopters floating in the water.

All the weight in a helicopter is above the cabin area, engines, transmission, etc. Even with controlled flight into the water, a helo will roll without power unless the air bags deploy. It is all a bit tricky.

I have spent a lot of quality time in the older version of this mess:

<iframe width="950" height="579" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/92-ThGnmXo4" title="Ditching, ditching, ditching: the helo dunker" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Again, with the main rotor departing the aircraft, it is anyone's guess how the helicopter will orient.

I turned in the news at noon to see the weather... caught a glimpse of it with no warning..... I wish I had not seen it too.

May they RIP...

Apparently the father was a CEO of Siemens.

my wife has been on those NYC tourist helicopters twice and is constantly saying we should go for a helicopter ride somewhere. Tried to get me in one at Niagara Falls last October. Helicopter rides are of course on my long list of absolutely no nevers

She saw the video and said she would never get in a helicopter again

Thankfully it landed in the water and missed any boats and did not land on a building or street somewhere

Just read that the pilot radioed that he needed fuel

Seriously doubt that was fuel related.

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I happened to see this as well. If the main rotor gearbox was indeed attached to the mast and main rotor blades that rules out mast bumping.

My guess is a driveline failure or gearbox failure. Or, transmission mounting failure.

Or, possible bird strike or drone strike to a main rotor pitch link/mast or main rotor blades.

I'm somewhat familiar with the B206 Long Ranger with 1100 hours in them. Bell 206s have a very good reliability record.

It wasn't fuel. He radioed the tour company's base of operations that he was returning and would require fuel on landing.
All was normal ops until it wasn't, he was making calm advisory calls on the self declaring radio frequency until just a few seconds before whatever happened.