Pilot who died in Hudson River helicopter crash posted video flying same model only weeks ago
A video showing the pilot of the helicopter that crashed into a New York City river flying the same model of aircraft has begun to circulate online.
On Thursday (10 April) six people were killed after a sightseeing helicopter tragically crashed into the city's Hudson River.
The cause of the accident is yet to be confirmed, although witnesses recalled seeing the aircraft seemingly 'splitting in half' in midair before plummeting into the water below. Video footage captured by onlookers revealed that the helicopter's rotors had separated from the main body of the aircraft in its final moments.
Emergency responders later confirmed that all six bodies had been recovered from the water, four people were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were transported to local hospitals but 'succumbed to their injuries'.
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All six people on board have since been identified, with 36-year-old retired US Navy SEAL Sean Johnson named as the pilot.
The five passengers were Spanish nationals Agustín Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children, aged 4, 5 and 11.
Johnson appeared to have been a keen flyer, with the New York Post reporting that he had recently relocated to New York in order to continue his aviation career.
A widely circulated video from Johnson's Facebook page revealed that the veteran regularly shared updates about his flying career, including a video of him flying a Bell 206 helicopter, the very same model of chopper which crashed earlier in the week.
In his final video, Johnson can be seen navigating the skies over lower Manhattan, with the camera panning to reveal the views of the New York skyline.
"When it all comes together," he captioned the clip.
It's unclear if the aircraft in the video was the exact helicopter which crashed on 10 April or a similar model.
The veteran's widow Kathryn Johnson has since spoken out about the accident, sharing her shock and grief in an interview with Gothamist.
"I'm just at loss for words. I don't even know what happened," she told the outlet, adding: " It's just hard right now."
She also confirmed that Johnson had also worked on a TV show and as a bodyguard for various celebrities after finishing his military career but had 'always wanted to fly'.
New York Helicopter Tours, which operated the helicopter in question, CEO Michael Roth shared the final communication received from Johnson, revealing that he had called in to say the chopper 'needed fuel'.
"He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn't arrive," he told The Telegraph
"We're all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying.
"The death of the child of any human being, is a monumental disaster."
Topics: US News
Brenna Cooper