NTSB images reveal NYC tour helicopter 'abruptly' disintegrating midflight prior to deadly Hudson River crash

Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released images captured by witnesses showing the tour helicopter that tragically crashed into the Hudson River on April 10. The pictures depict the helicopter breaking apart midair before descending into the water, resulting in the loss of six lives. While the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation, an initial report by the NTSB mentioned that witnesses heard multiple loud noises emanating from the aircraft, a Bell 206L-4, before it unexpectedly split into three main sections and plummeted into the river. In the images, it can be seen that the fuselage, including the engine and main rotor assembly, detached from the tail boom first. Subsequent photos reveal the main rotor blades, along with the transmission and roof structure, breaking apart from the fuselage. The flight path indicates that the helicopter departed from Downtown Manhattan/Wall Street Heliport, flew south of the Statue of Liberty, headed north along Manhattan's east side, crossed the George Washington Bridge, and made a U-turn before proceeding south on the New Jersey side of the river. As it approached the Holland Tunnel towers, the aircraft ascended to 675 feet but then rapidly descended before the crash, with its final observed altitude at 125 feet. The fuselage landed inverted north of the Holland Tunnel towers, submerged in approximately 6 feet of water, while the main rotor and tail boom segments were found further north in about 30 feet of water. Debris was recovered from both the surface of the river and a rooftop near the NJ Transit building in Hoboken. The helicopter operator, New York Helicopter Tours, ceased operations following the tragic crash. The individuals on board, tragically all of whom lost their lives, included a Navy SEAL veteran pilot, two adults, and three children, identified as a Spanish family: Agustin Escobar, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children.