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NYC sightseeing helicopter broke apart midair before deadly Hudson crash, feds say
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 7, 2025
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 7, 2025
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Federal investigators said the sightseeing helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River last month, killing all six people on board, broke apart in midair just moments before hitting the water.
In a preliminary report released Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said surveillance video captured the aircraft separating into three major components — the fuselage, main rotor and tail — as it flew over Jersey City. Witnesses reported hearing loud “bangs” moments before the breakup.
The April 10 flight, operated by New York Helicopter, was a routine aerial tour along Manhattan’s skyline. The agency said the helicopter was not equipped with video or data recorders, but photos taken before takeoff show that the pilot, Sean Johnson, was wearing computer-augmented sunglasses capable of recording video and audio. The sunglasses have not been recovered.
Johnson, a 36-year-old Navy veteran who had recently moved to New York City, was on his first day back at work after a 10-day break. The crash occurred during his eighth tour flight of the day, all flown with the same helicopter model. He had logged just under 50 hours flying the Bell 206L-4.
The helicopter had undergone a scheduled inspection on Feb. 27 and had flown about 50 hours since that maintenance check, according to the report.
Tagged
new york city
new jersey
transportation
public safety
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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