Hudson River helicopter crash: Five theories on what caused the devastating tragedy

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Five theories that indicate the cause behind the Hudson River tragedy

Technical Malfunction

Justin Green, an Aviation lawyer and former US Marine Corps helicopter pilot, told Metro that after watching the footage, the tragedy looked like a “catastrophic mechanical failure.” Aviation analyst Julian Bray warned that Jesus nut, a crucial part of the aircraft, might have been missing or faulty, leading to the crash.

The part holding the rotator blades to the mast which Bray suggested could have come loose mid-flight resulting in the tragedy. He said, “What appears to have happened with this particular helicopter is that the rotor, the main rotor… had detached because in one video we see the blades spinning away from the helicopter,” as reported by The Mirror.

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Erratic joystick movement

The Burnley businessman known for his ‘Bank of Dave’, Dave Fishwick had a different theory. In a TikTok video, he explained while sitting in a helicopter that the tail rotators could have been cut off because of the sudden back-and-forth movement of the joystick. He shared, “I’m not sure if that actually happened. I’m sure it was something to do with the main rotor disc not holding the helicopter where it should be.”

Birds in the sky

The investigators are ruling nothing out as they search for the flock of birds near the crash site. Ms Homedy shared that the NTSB is well “aware” of the reports and discussions that are being held. She said, “It’s something we are looking into. What I would say to the public is that if something struck you as different or made you pause, or it crossed your mind that you might want to share with our investigators, there is no downside in sharing that information with us.”

Running out of fuel

The ill-fated helicopter was reportedly low on fuel before it crashed into the river. Chief executive of New York Helicopter Tours, Michael Roth told the Telegram, that pilot Johnson “called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel”. He continued, “It should have taken him about three minutes to arrive. But 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive. Roth also said he was unsure why the helicopter came down.”

Overly aggressive handling

Former military aviator Jim Brauchle expressed to Mail that there are “two main causes of this phenomenon are mechanical failure or excessive manoeuvring.” Additionally, he asked for a “full investigation” of the crash. He told the outlet, “From the footage, it appears that the main rotor struck the body of the helicopter, cutting off the tail of the helicopter, which created an unrecoverable event.”