An emergency fuel shut-off switch had been accidentally tripped moments before a fatal crash of a helicopter in New York's East River on March 11, a pilot told the National Transportation Safety Board in a preliminary report released Monday.
The Eurocopter AS350 chartered by Liberty Helicopters of New Jersey crashed, killing all five passengers after a private photo shoot trip over New York City. The pilot, who escaped, also told the NTSB that the engine trouble started shortly after a passenger slid across the seat and leaned back to take a picture. The pilot also said he saw part of a passenger's restraint harness underneath the switch as the craft was going down.
The pilot said he was "committed to impact," and "when he reached down for the emergency fuel shutoff lever, he realized that it was in the off position," the report said.