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The doomed tourist helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River last month, killing six people, emitted “loud bangs” before breaking into three pieces, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report Wednesday.

Witnesses told the NTSB they heard the loud noises coming from the New York Helicopter Tours chopper as it was flying over the Hudson moments before the deadly crash on April 10, the board’s report said.


  A bystander, Charles McSorley, 59, said the rotor just “snapped right off.” REUTERS A bystander, Charles McSorley, 59, said the rotor just “snapped right off.” REUTERS

Immediately after the “bangs” were heard, surveillance cameras captured the moment the helicopter split into three major sections: the fuselage, the main rotor, and the tail boom.  

Stay up to date on the Hudson River helicopter crash:

The wreckage of the Bell 206 chopper plummeted into the Hudson just 17 minutes after it took flight.  

The NTSB has yet to reveal the conclusive cause of the deadly crash, with officials saying the case remains under investigation. 


  Two of the victims were alive when they were pulled from the river, but later succumbed. Obtained by the NY Post Two of the victims were alive when they were pulled from the river, but later succumbed. Obtained by the NY Post

Along with the haunting details of the sounds heard leading up to the crash, the NTSB found that the pilot, Sean Johnson, had just come back from a 10-day break before the ill-fated trip. 

Johnson, who had more than 790 hours of experience, would fly for 10 days and then take 10 days off, not an uncommon schedule for pilots, the NTSB said. 


  Video posted online showed the sightseeing helicopter fall out of the sky into the Hudson River on Thursday as witnesses described the aircraft breaking apart in midair. Bruce Wall Video posted online showed the sightseeing helicopter fall out of the sky into the Hudson River on Thursday as witnesses described the aircraft breaking apart in midair. Bruce Wall

The helicopter also appeared to have all its inspections up to date, with the craft only logging 50 hours since its last check in late February. 

The helicopter took off from Manhattan’s Downtown Skyport on April 10, with Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three young children — Augustin, 10, Mercedes, 8, and Victor, 4 — on board.


  Mercè Camprubí Montal, her husband, Agustin Escobar, and their children were all killed in the wreck. New York Helicopter Tours LLC Mercè Camprubí Montal, her husband, Agustin Escobar, and their children were all killed in the wreck. New York Helicopter Tours LLC

The family, who hailed from Barcelona, Spain, were flown by Johnson, 36, a Navy veteran who recently moved to the Big Apple for his aviation career. 

New York Helicopter CEO Michael Roth has said he has “no clue why” his chopper malfunctioned and crashed mid-flight. The company has since shuttered.

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