Photos from witnesses, released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Wednesday, display the tour helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River on April 10, breaking apart in midair before it submerged into the water, resulting in the deaths of six individuals.
While the exact cause of the crash is still undetermined, a preliminary report from the NTSB indicates that several witnesses heard multiple “loud bangs” emanating from the Bell 206L-4 helicopter before it “suddenly” broke into three major sections in the air and then descended into the river.
Photos show that first, the fuselage – containing the engine and main rotor blade assembly – completely separated from the tail boom.
In a subsequent photo, the main rotor blades with the attached transmission and roof structure could be seen broken apart from the fuselage.
A Bell 206L-4 helicopter, N216MH, was destroyed in a crash near Jersey City, N.J. (NTSB)
Although the aircraft did not have any video or data recording devices installed, images of the pilot taken right before the flight showed him wearing computer-augmented sunglasses, which had video and audio recording capabilities, according to officials.
The sunglasses were not recovered.
ADS-B flight track and geographic data highlight the last minute of the flight through breakup, uncontrolled decent and loss of signal. (NTSB)
Six people, including a Navy SEAL veteran pilot, two adults and three children, were killed in the crash.
Five of the victims have been identified as a Spanish family: Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children, the Associated Press reported.
Days after the crash, the company that owned the tour helicopter, New York Helicopter Tours, announced it was shutting down its operations immediately.
New Jersey Transit did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
