EC 130 Plunges into Hudson River￱

An EC 130 operated by New York City’s Liberty Helicopters made a forced landing into the Hudson River last month during an otherwise routine sightseeing flight. According to the NTSB’s preliminary report, the pilot, who was flying at between 300 and 400 feet, reported hearing a loud bang, saw debris fly by her windshield and then lost all yaw control. Subsequent to the rpm winding down, she entered autorotation, deployed the floats and landed “softly” on the water. None of the eight people on board was seriously injured.