A new video has surfaced from inside the helicopter that crashed in New York City on Sunday, showing the excited passengers as the aircraft took off.
The helicopter crashed into the East River on Sunday evening with five passengers inside. All of them were killed in the sinking aircraft, and only the pilot was able to make it out alive. He reportedly told investigators that the helicopter’s engine failed when a passenger’s luggage accidentally hit the emergency fuel shut off button, according to a report by DailyMail.
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Trevor Cadigan, one of the passengers, was recording as the helicopter took off for its 11 minute flight. He filmed himself and his friend, Brian McDaniel, smiling and flashing thumbs up as they lifted off from the ground. He then switched to the front facing camera, showing the ground shrinking as they rose into the air.
Cadigan and McDaniel were both from Dallas, Texas. Cadigan had moved up to New York in October for an internship with Business Insider. McDaniel, a two-year veteran of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, was on a trip to visit his friend. They were both 26 years old.
The other victims of the crash include Argentinean tourist Carla Vallejos Banco, and two more employees of the helicopter company — 34-year-old Daniel Thompson and 29-year-old Tristan Hill. Two were killed in the crash, while three more were rushed to the hospital, only to pass later on.
Dallas Fire-Rescue issued a statement on McDaniel and his service.
“Officer McDaniel was single, and had no children, but was immediately survived by his Father, of Dallas; and his Mother and older Brother, of Denver, CO. Despite his short tenure, hearts are heavy with grief as we not only try to come to grips with his loss departmentally; but to also be there in every way that we can for his family. The family asks for privacy during this trying time,” the statement read.
McDaniel’s brother also spoke briefly to reporters at New York Daily News. “He loved his job, loved his friends and family and loved adventure,” Jason McDaniel said of his brother.
The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. The pilot, 33-year-old Richard Vance, maintains that a bag hit the emergency fuel shut off button and caused the engine failure. After the craft sank, Vance surfaced on an emergency yellow raft. Divers attempted to save the other passengers, who were trapped inside.
