Chopper In Hudson River Crash Broke Apart In Midair, Report Finds

NEW YORK CITY — A tourist helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River last month and killed six people had broken apart in midair, federal officials disclosed in a new report.

A report from the National Transportation Safety Board revealed the helicopter broke apart in three pieces before crashing into the water.

The helicopter, a Bell 206, had reached an altitude of 675 feet before it descended rapidly. According to the report, in seven seconds, the chopper fell more than 550 feet into the Hudson River.

The NTSB released still photographs taken from surveillance camera video, which shows the fuselage separating from the helicopter's tail. The rotor blades and the transmission also break apart from the cabin.

A family of tourists from Spain and a pilot were among six killed in a helicopter crash over the Hudson River on April 10.

Agustin Escobar, a CEO at technology company Siemens, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, their children, ages 4, 5 and 11, as well as 36-year-old pilot Sean Johnson died in the crash, Patch previously reported.

The helicopter went down in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street in Manhattan near Pier 40 around 3:17 p.m., the NYPD said.

A number of videos on social media captured the moments following the crash.

Witnesses near the scene described seeing the helicopter "fall from the sky" and they heard a loud boom before it crashed into the water.

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

Two weeks ago, the New York City Council passed a bill that would limit helicopter use in the city and nonessential flights by implementing stricter noise restrictions, Patch previously reported.

The bill, known as the Helicopter Oversight Act, passed by a 46-1 vote with one abstention. The bill was sponsored by Councilmember Amanda Farias of the Bronx.