NTSB: Last pieces of doomed helicopter recovered from Hudson River

The remaining pieces of the tourism helicopter that went down in the Hudson River last week killing six people, including a family of five from Spain, were recovered Monday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced.

Separately late Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order grounding New York Helicopter, the operator of the helicopter that crashed Thursday.

The NTSB said several of the key remaining components from the doomed Bell 206 L-4 helicopter were found by divers from the NYPD, along with personnel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management, the NTSB said Monday evening. The recovered components included the helicopter’s main rotor system, including its transmission, along with the roof beam and the tail rotor system.

"The evidence will be taken to a secure location for further examination," the NTSB said in a statement. "Recovery efforts are now finished.

The NYPD declined to comment, referring all questions to the NTSB.

Video of the crash showed the seven-seat aircraft plunging upside down toward the river with its top propellers no longer spinning.

The video footage also appeared to show a piece of the helicopter flying off the aircraft before it crashes into the Hudson near Pier 40.

The crash killed a family of five, including two adults and three children. They were identified as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar Canadas, 49; his wife, Mercè Camprubi Montal, 39, who also worked for the company; and their children: 10-year-old Agustin Escobar Camprubi, 8-year-old Mercedes Escobar Camprubi and 4-year-old Victor Escobar Camprubi.

The father was in town for a business trip, while the family joined him to celebrate the mother's upcoming 40th birthday and the birthday of Mercedes, who would have turned 9 on Friday, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said.

The pilot was identified as Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who recently moved to the city. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said Friday that Johnson had 788 hours of total flight time.

On Sunday, the FAA announced that New York Helicopter was shutting down operations immediately following a review of the tour operator's license and safety record along with the NTSB’s crash investigation.

Late Monday on X, acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said the agency ordered the grounding of New York Helicopter "in part, because after the company’s director of operations voluntarily shut down flights, he was fired."

Rocheleau's post also included a copy of the suspension order.

Jason Costello, the director of operations, agreed during a phone call Sunday with the FAA to halt flights during the crash investigation and emailed the agency to confirm, according to the order. Company CEO Michael Roth emailed the FAA 16 minutes later that he did not authorize the halt. Roth also said Costello was no longer an employee, the FAA order stated.

"The immediate firing of the Director of Operations raises serious safety concerns because it appears Mr. Roth retaliated against Mr. Costello for making the safety decision to cease operations during the investigation," the document states

A preliminary NTSB report is expected in 30 days while the full report could take one to two years, officials said.

The NTSB also continues to ask witnesses to the crash who may have video or photos of any part of the accident to contact them by email at witness@ntsb.gov.

With Newsday Staff

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.