The NYC chopper crash that killed five people on March 11 was caused by its fuel supply being turned off, the pilot who survived its plunge into the East River told reportedly investigators.
Richard Vance, the pilot of the open-door tour helicopter, told the National Transportation Safety Board that he moved to switch the fuel switch off when the helicopter starting going down but found that it was already off, USA Today reported.
Vance told investigators he then tried to restart the engine, but it was too late, per USA Today, citing a preliminary report from the NTSB.
The pilot told the safety agency he believed a restraint tether activated the emergency fuel cutoff lever, the New York Daily News said, citing the preliminary report.
A previous report said the five passengers who died in the crash were wearing harnesses that might have hindered them from escaping the helicopter after it rolled over and sank in the river. Video showed the helicopter plopping down upright on the water’s surface.
Vance, who works for Liberty Helicopter Tours, told investigators he had checked the passengers' harnesses and told them in a pre-flight briefing where a cutting tool was located, for use in an emergency, but none were unable to escape after the crash, per USA Today.
The New York Police Department identified the victims as Carla Vallejos Blanco, 29; Daniel Thompson, 34; Tristan Hill, 29; Trevor Cadigan, 26; and Brian McDaniel, 26, CNN reported.
The Daily News reported that NTSB investigators found that three floats on the right side of the helicopter did not properly inflate. Investigators believe the underinflated floats may have caused the helicopter to flip over on its side after Vance executed an emergency water landing, the report said, per the Daily News.
"Examination of the emergency float system revealed that the three floats installed on the left landing gear skid appeared to be more inflated than the floats on the right landing gear skid," the NTSB said, per the Daily News, and that Vance activated the floats at an altitude of about 850 feet, which should have been more than enough time for them to fully inflate before hitting the water.
The Daily News said the report came to no conclusions about what caused the crash or how it might have been prevented and said a complete investigation of the accident could take more than a year.
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