SAO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS)-The helicopter pilot that fell on the Hudson River in New York on Thursday (10) warned that it needed to replenish a few minutes before the fall, according to the owner of the sightseeing company operating the aircraft.
Michael Roth, CEO of the New York Helicopter Tour, said that it is considered a bird collision or failure to the main rotor, but the exact cause of the accident that killed the six occupants has not yet been determined.
Roth told the British newspaper The Telegraph that the pilot “warned that he was landing and needed fuel.” That would take about three minutes, but 20 minutes later he had not yet arrived.
According to the New York Fire Department, the Bell 206 helicopter broke in half as it fly over the river around 3:15 pm.
Roth said he still did not know the cause of the accident and reported what he observed in the images of the fall. “The only thing I saw in the video was that the main rotor blades were not in the helicopter,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like this in 30 years in the industry. The only thing I can imagine – and I’m not sure it was a bird collision or a fault of the main rotor.”
Police divers and firefighters helped remove the bodies from the water. Four of the victims were declared dead at the scene, while two were taken to nearby hospitals, but could not resist.
The identity of the aircraft pilot was not disclosed by the US authorities.
The other five victims were from the same family from Spain, who was visiting New York on vacation, celebrating the birthday of one of his children. They were the executive director of Siemens in Spain, Agustin Escobar (who was about to be transferred to Germany), his wife, Merce Camperbubi Montal, and his three children, 4, 5 and 11 years old.
Photos released on the New York Helicopter Tours website show the family smiling in front of the helicopter and inside the aircraft, with the flashed belts.
Videos published on social networks show the exact moment of the fall, recording the separation of fuselage and propeller during the tragedy.
