The rotor of the helicopter from last week’s deadly crash has been retrieved from the Hudson River, four days after the devastating accident that killed all six people on board, according to a statement from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The recovery of the rotor system included the transmission and the roof beam, the NTSB said on Monday night, adding: “They also recovered the tail rotor system.”
The main fuselage, which includes the cockpit and cabin, had already been recovered, the NTSB said.
“Key components of the Bell 206 L-4 helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River last week were recovered Monday, greatly aiding the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the fatal accident,” the statement said, in part.
It credited the efforts to divers from the New York Police Department, the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management.
“The evidence will be taken to a secure location for further examination,” the NTSB statement said.
“Recovery efforts are now finished,” it added.
The pilot, Seankese “Sam” Johnson, was taking a family of Spanish tourists — Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children, ages 4, 8 and 10 — on a tour when the chopper crashed on March 10.
Video showed the helicopter plunging into the 5-foot-deep water near Jersey City, New Jersey, without its tail rotor or main rotor blade.
The NTSB is investigating the cause of the crash. The helicopter wasn’t equipped with any flight records, the NTSB said.
New York Helicopter Tours, the company behind the helicopter, has shut down its operations, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA said it will launch an immediate review of the tour operator’s license and safety record.
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