NTSB Investigative Update on Jersey City Helicopter Crash

​​​JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (April 12, 2025) - Wreckage of the Bell 206 L-4 helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River Thursday continued to be recovered by divers Saturday as NTSB investigators began evaluating the helicopter's flight control system at a secure location.

Divers from the New York Police Department are continuing to search for the helicopter's main rotor, main gear box, tail rotor and a large portion of the tail boom. Side-scanning sonar is being used to identify potential locations of wreckage. Recovery operations will continue Sunday.

The main fuselage, including the cockpit and cabin, the forward portion of the tail boom, the horizontal stabilizer finlets and the vertical fin have been recovered. Some of the recovered parts will be sent to the NTSB laboratories in Washington for closer inspection.

The helicopter was not equipped with any flight recorders. No onboard video recorders or camera recorders have been recovered and none of the helicopter avionics onboard recorded information that could be used for the investigation.

NTSB investigators met with representatives from the helicopter's operator, New York Helicopter Charter Inc., to review operational records, policies and procedures, safety management systems and the pilot's experience. Investigators also examined two exemplar helicopters.

The accident helicopter's last major inspection was on March 1. Before the crash, the helicopter had completed seven tour flights. The accident occurred during the eighth flight of the day.

Parties to the investigation include the Federal Aviation Administration, Bell Helicopter, and Rolls Royce.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

NTSB images: https://www.flickr.com/gp/ntsb/r6T8348H33 ​