Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Five die in copter river crash ‘caused by a bag’
Luggage ‘fell on fuel cut-off’
A HELICOPTER crash into a river, which killed all five passengers, may have been caused by one of their bags.
Pilot Richard Vance, 33, has told officials a piece of luggage may have inadvertently hit the emergency fuel shut-off button.
He escaped as the Eurocopter AS350 began to capsize, but the passengers were unable to undo harnesses as it was swept away in East River, New York City.
Trevor Cadigan, 26, can be seen in Instagram footage taken as the chopper, hired for a photoshoot, took off on Sunday.
Brian Mcdaniel, of Dallas, Texas, Argentinian tourist Carla Vallejos Blanco, 29, and helicopter staff Daniel Thompson and Tristan Hill were also on board.
Two died at the scene, three in hospital. Daniel Nigro, NYC fire commissioner, said: “It took a while for divers to get [them] out. They worked very quickly. It was a great tragedy.” Witnesses told of the “loud noise” of the chopper, owned by Liberty Helicopters, before it hit the water.
Arineah Nazarian said: “We noticed a red helicopter going full speed towards the water.”
In audio of the mayday call, the pilot spoke of engine failure.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are probing.