Pilot only sparks lack of fuel – then he crashed

Family falls into death at sightseeing flight

The last contact with the pilot raises questions

Shortly after the start, a circular flight helicopter falls into the Hudson River in New York. The last radio contact with the pilot raises questions.

A helicopter crashed on Thursday afternoon on a sightseeing flight over New York-all six people died on board. The crash occurred at around 3:15 p.m. local time on the New Jersey page of the Hudson River, not far from the southern tip of Manhattan. According to the first information, a technical defect could have been the cause. The helicopter may also have fueled.

The Bell 206 helicopter started at 2:59 p.m. from the Heliport in Downtown Manhattan and took a course on George Washington Bridge – along the west coast of Manhattan. At 3:08 p.m. the machine turned there and flew back in the south-this time along the Hudson New Jersey side.

“Shortly afterwards, the plane lost control and fell into the water,” said police commissioner Jessica Tisch. The emergency call received the authorities at 3:17 p.m. Moments later were the first emergency services on site.

video | Helicopter crash: video shows the moment of misfortune

Michael Roth (71), owner of the New York Helicopter company, who had organized the sightseeing flight, told the British “Telegraph” of the last contact with the pilot: “He sparked that he had to land and needed fuel – actually it should have been about three minutes until it arrives. But 20 minutes later he was still not there.”

However, Roth could not answer what led to the sudden lack of fuel. He showed himself shaken: “We are all on the ground. My wife does not stop crying. The death of a child is a monumental disaster for everyone.”

According to the Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, there were six people on board the accident machine: three adults, three children – a family from Spain that was visiting and the pilot. Accordingly, it is the family of Siemens manager Agustin Escobar. “All six victims have already been recovered from the water and unfortunately died,” said Mayor of Adam. Four people were still declared dead at the scene of the accident, two succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.

According to the police, the flight was originally planned via Governor’s Island and the Statue of Liberty – with a turning point at George Washington Bridge. Then the route should lead back south. But shortly after the turn, the helicopter apparently lost control.

At the time of the accident, the weather was changeable: cloudy, with wind speeds between 15 and 25 kilometers per hour, gusts of up to 35 km/h – that reported CNN. It is still unclear whether the weather played a role in the crash.