A Bell LongRanger helicopter yawed right and broke into three pieces before crashing into the Hudson River and killing the pilot and a family of five on a sightseeing birthday trip on April 10. "Surveillance video (with accompanying audio) captured the helicopter traveling south before it suddenly separated into three major sections: fuselage (including the engine), main rotor system (including both main rotor blades, transmission and roof-beam structure), and the tail boom (including the tail rotor)," the NTSB said in a preliminary report (copied below) released Friday.
Perhaps sudden failure of tail rotor broke tail boom, need to try to see which direction it broke in compared to its normal forcing against main rotor effect. And examine wreckage for indications of main rotor strike.
Not at all likely related, but curious that it was considered a Part 91 operation rather than Part 135, or whatever Part helicopters might be operated under “for hire.”
In general, it’s part 91 within 25 miles, starting and ending at the same point, with lots of restrictions for over-water flight. Still, it requires an LOA (unless you only do it infrequently) as well as drug programs, and other things you’d expect from a “commercial” operation.