Incident Overview
A Cessna U206G float plane, registered N5328X, and a Bell 206A police helicopter, registered N4797R, collided in flight over Brooklyn, New York. The police helicopter was on a traffic observation flight and had just reported traffic conditions in the vicinity of a toll station when the collision occurred. The float plane was arriving on an air taxi flight to the Wall Street area of Manhattan.
Collision Details
A surviving passenger of the float plane reported that the aircraft was in a left turn when she saw the helicopter just prior to the mid-air collision. After the impact, the helicopter crashed through the roof of an unoccupied garage building. The float plane made an emergency descent, wobbling side-to-side, and crashed into the East River.
Aftermath
The two rear-seat passengers of the float plane egressed before the plane sank. The pilot and the front-seat passenger were injured and drowned. Divers believed that neither of the front-seat occupants were using their shoulder harnesses. The right front-seat passenger's shoulder harness was found stowed.