What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On base final to the west 30th street heliport (jra) over the Hudson River in NY, during a sight-seeing tour with seven passengers onboard, pilot experienced a loud bang noise, followed by airframe vibration. PIC elected to perform a forced landing by deploying the skid's floats and autorotated onto the River north of the lincoln tunnel, adjacent to wechawkin, NJ. Nearby boaters rescued the passengers and the PIC. The rotorcraft was towed to port liberte, jersey city, NJ. On Sunday July 7, 2007, FAA iic arrived at the port and observed that the rotorcraft's main rotor transmission was detached from its base and leaning to the right side of the airframe and the engine, also detached from its base and leaning to the left side of the airframe. All three main rotors substantially damaged. Aft portion of the tail boom and tail rotor separated from the airframe and was not recovered during the salvage operation. Under investigation. (-23 amendment) new information. Further investigative analysis by Eurocopter and france bea on the blue main rotor blade examination (p/n 355A-11-0030.00 s/n 22312) and action requested from the NTSB for destructive testing of the aforementioned blade and examination of the two other blades from N453AE for data comparison. This was documented from eurocopter/bea meeting on February 21, 2008 and the report is attached. NTSB materials laboratory factual report number 08-008 for the main transmission mount crossbeam with attached fractured airframe structure and portion of the fractured transmission support bar with attached upper rod end fitting. Report is attached.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON BASE FINAL TO THE WEST 30TH STREET HELIPORT (JRA) OVER THE HUDSON RIVER IN NY, DURING A SIGHT-SEEING TOUR WITH SEVEN PASSENGERS ONBOARD, PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOUD BANG NOISE, FOLLOWED BY AIRFRAME VIBRATION. PIC ELECTED TO PERFORM A FORCED LANDING BY DEPLOYING THE SKID'S FLOATS AND AUTOROTATED ONTO THE RIVER NORTH OF THE LINCOLN TUNNEL, ADJACENT TO WECHAWKIN, NJ. NEARBY BOATERS RESCUED THE PASSENGERS AND THE PIC. THE ROTORCRAFT WAS TOWED TO PORT LIBERTE, JERSEY CITY, NJ. ON SUNDAY JULY 7, 2007, FAA IIC ARRIVED AT THE PORT AND OBSERVED THAT THE ROTORCRAFT'S MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION WAS DETACHED FROM ITS BASE AND LEANING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRFRAME AND THE ENGINE, ALSO DETACHED FROM ITS BASE AND LEANING TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRFRAME. ALL THREE MAIN ROTORS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND WAS NOT RECOVERED DURING THE SALVAGE OPERATION. UNDER INVESTIGATION. (-23 AMENDMENT) NEW INFORMATION. FURTHER INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS BY EUROCOPTER AND FRANCE BEA ON THE BLUE MAIN ROTOR BLADE EXAMINATION (P/N 355A-11-0030.00 S/N 22312) AND ACTION REQUESTED FROM THE NTSB FOR DESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF THE AFOREMENTIONED BLADE AND EXAMINATION OF THE TWO OTHER BLADES FROM N453AE FOR DATA COMPARISON. THIS WAS DOCUMENTED FROM EUROCOPTER/BEA MEETING ON FEBRUARY 21, 2008 AND THE REPORT IS ATTACHED. NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORY FACTUAL REPORT NUMBER 08-008 FOR THE MAIN TRANSMISSION MOUNT CROSSBEAM WITH ATTACHED FRACTURED AIRFRAME STRUCTURE AND PORTION OF THE FRACTURED TRANSMISSION SUPPORT BAR WITH ATTACHED UPPER ROD END FITTING. REPORT IS ATTACHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.