NTSB Report: Bell 206L-4 Helicopter Piloted by Sean Johnson Breaks Apart Midair, Killing Siemens Executive, Family of Three

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on a helicopter crash that occurred on April 10, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, their three children, and the pilot, Sean Johnson. The incident involved a Bell 206L-4 helicopter operated by New York Helicopter Tours, which broke apart midair before crashing into the Hudson River. Sean Johnson, a 36-year-old Navy veteran, was piloting the helicopter on his first day back after a 10-day break. The flight was his eighth of the day, and the helicopter had undergone its last inspection on February 27, accumulating 50 hours of flight since then. Johnson was wearing computer-augmented sunglasses capable of recording video and audio, but these have not been recovered as the helicopter was not equipped with any other video or data recording devices. Witnesses reported hearing several loud 'bangs' emanating from the helicopter before it disintegrated and descended into the river, 18 minutes into the flight. The report indicates that the helicopter was flying at an altitude of 675 feet when it broke into three major sections: the fuselage with the engine, the main rotor system, and the tail boom.