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>I don't know how big a deal the harness really is. Given that your odds of survival are 0% if you are effectively chained to a sinking helicopter, and are at

>I don't know how big a deal the harness really is. Given that your odds of survival are 0% if you are effectively chained to a sinking helicopter, and are at least greater than 0% if you are not, I'd say it's a big deal. Further, the articles I've read said that the helicopter was hovering over Central Park when the fuel was shutoff, and in fact the pilot considered landing there before deciding that there were too many people around. Had he known that his passengers had a 0% chance of escaping once he landed on water, I imagine he would have attempted to land in Central Park.

CydeWeys 9y ago
Not sure where you're getting this information from, but helicopters aren't allowed to fly over Manhattan. You can see the flight route of the doomed helicopter here: http://abc7ny.com/map-shows-exact-path-helicopter-took-over-east-river/3203330/ http://abc7ny.com/map-shows-exact-path-helicopter-took-over-... It was over the river the entire time. It wasn't over Central Park, just far north enough to be near it. Trying to make it to Central Park from the river with no engine power could have had a worse outcome if he'd not been able to make it and ended up striking a building; then everyone on the copter would still be dead, including whoever was hit on land.
- downandout 9y ago
  > Not sure where you're getting this information from For starters, the article we are commenting on itself. ”While hovering over Central Park, [the pilot] told them, the single-engine helicopter, an AS350 B2 model made by Airbus, suddenly lost power.” And then of course the NTSB report [1]: ”[The pilot] then observed engine pressure and fuel pressure warning lights and believed he had experienced an engine failure. He lowered the collective pitch control to maintain rotor rpm and let the nose continue to turn to the right. Central Park came into view and he briefly considered landing there but thought there were "too many people.”" That’s where I got my information, and I consider both of them to be fairly credible sources considering that both of them quote the pilot directly and one of them is the NTSB. [1] https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20180311X13013&AKey=1&RType=Prelim&IType=MA https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?E...

CydeWeys 9y ago

Not sure where you're getting this information from, but helicopters aren't allowed to fly over Manhattan. You can see the flight route of the doomed helicopter here: http://abc7ny.com/map-shows-exact-path-helicopter-took-over-east-river/3203330/ http://abc7ny.com/map-shows-exact-path-helicopter-took-over-... It was over the river the entire time. It wasn't over Central Park, just far north enough to be near it. Trying to make it to Central Park from the river with no engine power could have had a worse outcome if he'd not been able to make it and ended up striking a building; then everyone on the copter would still be dead, including whoever was hit on land.

downandout 9y ago
> Not sure where you're getting this information from For starters, the article we are commenting on itself. ”While hovering over Central Park, [the pilot] told them, the single-engine helicopter, an AS350 B2 model made by Airbus, suddenly lost power.” And then of course the NTSB report [1]: ”[The pilot] then observed engine pressure and fuel pressure warning lights and believed he had experienced an engine failure. He lowered the collective pitch control to maintain rotor rpm and let the nose continue to turn to the right. Central Park came into view and he briefly considered landing there but thought there were "too many people.”" That’s where I got my information, and I consider both of them to be fairly credible sources considering that both of them quote the pilot directly and one of them is the NTSB. [1] https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20180311X13013&AKey=1&RType=Prelim&IType=MA https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?E...