NTSB, National Transportation Safety Board, the independent investigative agency of the American government, has updated on the status of the investigations relating to the tragic accident that occurred on April 10, when a Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger IV helicopter, for reasons still unknown, sank into the waters of the Hudson River, near Jersey City, New York, killing a family of 5 people (3 children and two parents), and also killing the pilot (see AVIONEWS). A note from the authority reports that the divers of the New York Police Department continued to recover the remains of the helicopter on Saturday while the investigators of the NTSB have begun to evaluate the flight control system of the aircraft, conducted to a safe place. In the meantime, the search for the main rotor, the main landing gear, the tail rotor and a large part of the tail boom continues. Recovery operations continued throughout yesterday with the aid of a side-scan sonar to identify potential locations of pieces of the wreck still to be recovered.

The main fuselage, including the cockpit and cabin, the front of the tail boom, the horizontal stabilizer fins and the vertical fin have already been recovered. Some of these parts will be sent to the authority's laboratories in Washington for further inspection.

"The helicopter was not equipped with flight recorders. No onboard video recorders or cameras were recovered, and none of the helicopter's avionics systems recorded information useful to the investigation. Investigators -the statement continues- met with representatives of the helicopter's operator, New York Helicopter Charter Inc., to review operational records, policies and procedures, safety management systems and pilot experience". They also examined two of the same model in the fleet.

The last major inspection of the helicopter involved in the accident occurred on March 1st, the statement said. Before the accident, the aircraft had completed seven reconnaissance flights; the accident occurred during the eighth flight of the day.

As the investigation continues, the agency reports that parties involved in the inquiry include the Federal Aviation Administration (the US authority that oversees civil aviation), Bell Helicopter (the helicopter manufacturer), and Rolls Royce (the engine manufacturer).

Below is one of the many videos that immortalize the moment of the accident, and the rescue efforts (video Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul):