NJ Company’s Helicopter Tour Crashes In River, Kills 5: Officials

Five people aboard a New Jersey-based company’s helicopter tour died after the private charter flight crashed into the East River on Sunday night, police and fire officials said.

The helicopter crashed into the river near East 86th Street around 7 p.m., NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said.

Three of the five passengers were taken to the hospital in critical condition and two were pronounced dead on the scene. The three people taken to the hospital were later pronounced dead. The helicopter's pilot was rescued and taken to the hospital and is "ok," FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

The pilot was identified as 33-year-old Richard Nash of Danbury, Connecticut, an NYPD spokesman said.

• See related article: 5 Dead, CT Pilot Rescued After NYC Helicopter Crash

An unidentified police source named the deceased passengers to the New York Daily News as Brian McDaniel, a firefighter from Dallas; Trevor Cadigan, a video journalist originally from Dallas; Carla Vallejos Blanco, a tourist from Argentina and two helicopter employees, Tristan Hill and Daniel Thompson.

An unnamed “senior law enforcement official” told CNN that the pilot said the crash may have started when one of the passenger's bags inadvertently hit the emergency fuel shutoff button.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, authorities said.

• See related article: Helicopter Crashes In East River, Kills 5: Officials

NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said that the helicopter - a Eurocopter AS350 - is owned by New Jersey-based Liberty Helicopter Tours and was chartered for a photo shoot.

It took off from HHI Heliport in Kearny, ABC New York reported.

Liberty Helicopter, located in Kearny, was reportedly involved in a mid-air collision with a single-engine aircraft over the Hudson River in August 2009. During that crash, six people on the helicopter and three people on the plane died, the New York Daily News stated.

On Monday, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York announced plans to call on the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend Liberty’s operating certificate pending an investigation.

A brochure for Liberty Helicopters claims it is the only company licensed to fly within 1,000 feet of the Statue of Liberty on all of its tours, the New York Times reported.

According to the company's website, it maintains a fleet of 10, "state of the art" Airbus helicopters, and has "been in business and flying safely" for more than 30 years.

Liberty Helicopters released the following statement about the incident on Monday:

“We are focused on supporting the families affected by this tragic accident and on fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations. These agencies have asked us to respect the investigative process by referring all press inquires to them for any further comment.”

The company's website states:

"Liberty regularly receives the Annual Safety Award from the Helicopter Association International along with being a multiple recipient of the 5 Star Diamond Award and the ERHC Fly Neighborly Award. Through the years our staff have also been recognized and awarded for their excellence in service and performance by various aviation and travel and tourism organizations. Liberty is also a founding member of T.O.P.S., holds an Argus Gold rating and is a long time member of ERHC and HAI. This impressive record and background is due to the high caliber of our staff and the reliability of our equipment. All of our highly trained pilots and aviation maintenance technicians receive regular recurrent Airbus factory training, specifically the requirement of FAR part 135 air carrier standards and our fleet is serviced on a daily basis in our own 24 hour 7 days a week maintenance facility."

The company also states:

"Many of our pilots are ex-U.S. military and ex-NYPD so they come to us with a very disciplined background and training. Liberty requires all pilots to receive Airbus factory training on a regular basis, specifically the requirement of FAR part 135 air carrier standards. Additionally, our pilots are supported by some of the most highly trained maintenance crews in the industry."

A DIFFICULT RESCUE OPERATION

The rescue operation was made difficult due to the distance of the crash from shore, a four mile-per-hour current, cold temperatures and the fact that the helicopter flipped upside down in the water, police and fire officials said. The five passengers were secured into their seats by harnesses and had to be cut out of the aircraft, officials said.

"It took a while for the divers to get these people out, they worked very quickly, as fast as they could," Nigro said Sunday.

"It's a great tragedy that we had occur here on an otherwise quiet Sunday evening."

New York City Ferry service on the Astoria and East River routes was suspended after the crash, according to NYC Emergency Management.

A witness posted video of the moment the helicopter crashes into the East River. The aircraft is seen touching down on the river's surface and flipping onto its side as its rotor blades slice into the water.

With reporting by Patch staff writers

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo Courtesy of FDNY