The Liberty Helicopters Eurocopter AS350 B2 that crashed in New York’s East River was equipped with a passenger harness system comprised of “off-the-shelf components” that required occupants to use an attached cutting tool to cut through the harnesses in case of an emergency, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says.
All five passengers were killed in the March 11 accident. The pilot escaped with minor injuries.
In a preliminary report released Monday, the NTSB said that the passenger harness system had not been installed by the helicopter manufacturer but rather that its components consisted of “a nylon fall-protection harness that was attached at the occupants’ back by a locking carabiner to a lanyard. The lanyard was composed of multiple woven fabric loops, and the opposite end of the la…
