In this era when smartphones are at the ready and videotapes of current events are ubiquitous, the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) request to the public is not that surprising.
Five fatalities
The NTSB is looking for videos that show different angles of the March 11, 2018 accident in which a helicopter plunged into New York City’s East River. Five people were killed and the pilot injured when the Liberty Helicopters craft hit the water and rolled. The helicopter was substantially damaged.
The mystery behind the crash has deepened as the NTSB investigation has proceeded, with no evidence of abnormalities found in the helicopter’s engine and no evidence of a pre-impact breakup uncovered in the structure of the helicopter. Furthermore, no malfunctions were found in the flight controls.
The NTSB is in the process of:
- Interviewing Liberty Helicopters personnel - including the accident pilot – and witnesses to the crash
- Reviewing air traffic control voice and weather data
- Examining the float system on helicopter
Videos that show different angles or aspects of the accident sequence may be helpful in the investigation, whether they were made by professional broadcasters or witnesses. Those with videos are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
