X

Follow Us on Facebook

Fatal helicopter crash in New York: pilot's last words revealed

Sunday 13 April 2025 - 10:36
Fatal helicopter crash in New York: pilot's last words revealed

Authorities are continuing to investigate the tragic helicopter accident that claimed the lives of a Spanish family of five and the pilot in New York. New details about the final moments of the flight are emerging. The helicopter took off from Lower Manhattan last Thursday, heading south before turning north to the George Washington Bridge, then south again along New Jersey’s coastline. It lost control near Hoboken and crashed into the Hudson River.

According to Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter Tour, the pilot, Sean Johnson, radioed just minutes before the crash. Johnson had reported needing to refuel. "He said he was landing for fuel, which should have taken about three minutes, but 20 minutes later, he hadn’t arrived," Roth told The Telegraph.

The CEO of the helicopter company was unable to determine the cause of the crash. "From a video of the helicopter falling, it appears that the main rotor blades were missing," he explained. Roth, who has 30 years of experience in the helicopter industry, was deeply shaken by the incident: "I’ve never seen anything like this. The only explanation I can think of—though I have no idea—is that it could have collided with a bird, or the main rotor blades might have failed," he said.

The crash, which occurred around 3:15 PM local time (9:15 PM Spanish time), prompted an emergency response from firefighters and police in New York and New Jersey. Divers retrieved the victims and the wreckage from the river.


Lire aussi