Passenger’s Harness May Have Tripped Switch in Deadly Helicopter Crash

NEW YORK — One of the five passengers on the doorless helicopter hovering high above Manhattan had just leaned back toward the pilot to snap a photograph of his feet dangling in midair — a coveted shot known on social media as a “shoe selfie” — when the trouble started.

The pilot heard and saw warnings that the single engine of the AS350 Eurocopter was losing power. He considered trying to land in Central Park but decided that there were “too many people,” he told federal investigators, according to a report issued Monday.

So, after yelling at the passengers to return to their seats, he circled around and glided toward the East River, making a mayday call as he cleared the buildings at the island’s edge. The pilot, Richard Vance, said he deployed the floats on the helicopter’s skids in preparation for impact, then reached down for the emergency fuel shut-off lever.

But he found that it had already been tripped, and beneath it he spotted a possible culprit, the nylon tether that had allowed his front-seat passenger to move around the cabin and take pictures unimpeded by doors or windows — or a seat belt. Vance said that he moved the lever back to the on position and tried to restart the engine.

He got a positive response from the controls, he told the investigators. But at 300 feet above the surface, he decided it was too late to avoid hitting the water, so he cut the fuel off again, to prevent a fire.

As soon as the helicopter splashed down, Vance reached back and tried to unscrew a carabiner that attached the front-seat passenger to the aircraft, the report said. But before he could free the passenger, the helicopter capsized and he had to unbuckle his seat belt and pull himself out of the cabin.

He climbed onto the belly of the Eurocopter and called for help. But by the time rescue divers arrived, it was too late to save any of the passengers.

All five had been wearing a harness system that was designed to allow them to dangle out of the helicopter, whose doors had been removed for better photo opportunities. All five drowned, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Only Vance, 33, survived. He was not wearing a harness.

Each harness had a small pouch in front that contained a cutting tool to slice through the harness in an emergency, the report said. Vance told the investigators that he attached each of the passengers to their tethers before takeoff and pointed out to them where the cutters were. He said he reminded them about how to use them.

The report, from the National Transportation Safety Board, did not reach any conclusions about the cause of the March 11 crash. The investigation may take months to complete. But the report’s summary of an interview with Vance indicates that he thought the passenger’s movement while taking photographs may explain what happened.

Several days after the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ban on “doors-off” helicopter flights that use harnesses that cannot quickly be detached. “Doors-off” flights have become popular in tourist destinations like Hawaii, but the association of Hawaiian helicopter operators said its members do not use harnesses. The FAA did not say how many companies would be affected by the ban it ordered.

Last week, the safety board called on the FAA to “take definitive action” by banning commercial flights that use harnesses that do not allow for easy release during emergencies.

The passengers had booked their flight through FlyNYON, a New Jersey company that offered thrill-seekers the chance to unbuckle their seat belts and dangle their feet out the open door to snap “shoe selfies” with their cameras or smartphones. The helicopter was owned and operated by Vance’s employer, Liberty Helicopters, which is based at a heliport in Kearny, New Jersey, but has a big presence at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport near Wall Street.

Last weekend, FlyNYON was still in business, shuttling customers from its office in Kearny to the nearby heliport for rides in a helicopter that kept its doors on. The company’s website indicates that it is selling doors-off flights starting again on March 31, at prices that begin at $219 per seat. Those offers allude to “dangling your feet for a #shoeselfie,” and promise that “we take your experience further than anyone else in the industry.”

Neither FlyNYON nor Liberty responded Monday to requests for comment. Vance also could not be reached.