NYC copter ride turns fatal after river crash
A helicopter crashed into New York City’s East River last night, killing at least two passengers while the pilot escaped and three other passengers were rescued by divers.
Witnesses said the crash occurred shortly after 7 p.m. near Roosevelt Island.
Video posted on Twitter showed a red helicopter splash down in the river and turn belly up as its rotors chopped at the water.
The video showed no obvious signs of mechanical failure or visible smoke as it plunged into the river. But the pilot reported an engine failure in a mayday call to air traffic control, CBS News reported.
The pilot managed to get out on his own, FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said last night. Divers recovered two bodies from the submerged wreckage and got three passengers out alive, who were taken to local hospitals in critical condition.
Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said the helicopter is owned by Liberty Helicopter Tours and was hired for a private photo shoot.
“There was about a minute where we didn’t see anyone come out,” witness Brianna Jesme, 22, told the New York Post. “Then after a minute, we saw a man come out holding onto a raft screaming: ‘Help! help! Ah!’ and then inaudible screams. It was horrifying.”
Witness Mary Lee, 66, told the Post she watched the crash from her apartment window and immediately thought the crash had the potential to kill passengers.
“By the time we got out of here, we couldn’t see it. It was underwater,” Lee told the newspaper.
Xinran Jiang, who lives on Roosevelt Island with her husband, told The New York Times the couple watched from their apartment window as the helicopter slowly fell into the river.
“It almost looked like it was a landing,” Jiang said. “It wasn’t moving fast. We were curious where it was going to land. Then the next minute, it was diving into the river.”
The couple said they called 911 and saw what appeared to be a tugboat headed toward the crash site.
The helicopter disappeared beneath the waves, witness John Magers told the newspaper.