Federal investigators examining the fatal crash of a helicopter into the East River Tuesday are looking into the weight of the aircraft and passengers along with the winds at the time it plummeted into the water.
The National Transportation Safety Board has 15 investigators looking into the crash, which killed one person and injured three others. Investigators said at a briefing Wednesday that winds are among the factors being examined.
A weather reporting station at LaGuardia Airport had reported gusts of up to 20 mph on Tuesday afternoon. Winds can sometimes be rougher along the river because of turbulence caused by tall buildings and bridges.
The allowable weight of the passengers is also being determined, investigators said.
"A lot of these things, we're going to be looking at them, it's just the beginning," NTSB member Mark Rosekind said.
The NTSB said at an afternoon briefing that the helicoper was 15 feet above ground and 45 degrees into a turn when it encountered an issue. Investigators said there were no obvious signs of a "catastrophic mechanical failure" and no indication of a fire.
It also emerged Wednesday that the pilot, Paul Dudley, who had a clean flight record, had a criminal past. He was arrested in 1980 on charges of burglary and criminal possession of a weapon, and served five years probation.
Dudley has not been available for comment.
He has been described as an expert flier who once landed a plane in a field near Coney Island after its engine failed.
The NTSB said Dudley had 2,200 hours of flight time, including 500 in the particular make and model of aircraft that went down.
The helicopter, carrying four tourists celebrating a birthday weekend in New York City, crashed into the East River at 3:22 p.m., moments after it took off from a heliport at 34th street.
Investigators said Dudley told them he encountered a problem immediately after lifting off and was trying to head back when it crashed.
The NTSB said the aircraft, a Bell 206B built in 1976, has been fully recovered except for a portion of the main rotor blade.
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