NTSB investigators find no evidence of engine failure at time of fatal NY helicopter crash

The investigators found no metal particles on a magnetic monitoring device inside the Linden, N.J..-based helicopter’s engine that could have indicated damage, said National Transportation Safety Board member Mark Rosekind.

That and the lack of a rupture in the engine case were “a good indication there was no engine failure at the time of the accident,” he said.

Sonia Marra, a 40-year-old British woman who lived in Australia and was visiting the city with her family to celebrate her 40th birthday, died in Tuesday’s crash. Her body was pulled from the water by police divers 90 minutes after the Bell 206 helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon after taking off from a Manhattan riverside heliport near the United Nations headquarters.

Three other passengers were injured, including Helen Tamaki, who was reported to be in critical condition with possible damage to her lungs and brain. All were friends of the pilot, investigators have said.