A fist-sized piece of metal often called the “Jesus nut” could possibly be a vital piece of proof within the horrific helicopter crash that killed a Spanish household of 5 and their pilot in Manhattan earlier this week.
The so-called “Jesus nut” holds the primary rotor to the mast of some helicopters — and a few consultants have speculated that it may have been why the chopper broke aside midair.
“What appears to have happened with this particular helicopter is that the rotor, the main rotor… had detached, because in one video we see the blades spinning away from the helicopter,” aviation analyst Julian Bray advised The Solar.
“But this appears to have sliced through the back half of the helicopter, so the fuselage then drops like a stone into the river Hudson right opposite Pier 41.”
Bray additionally mentioned that it’s commonplace process to repeatedly test the “Jesus nut.”
“There is a particular procedure which has to be checked every time it’s serviced, and it’s known as the ‘Jesus bolt’ … because without that the whole thing will fall apart,” he mentioned.
“It’s either defective or wasn’t tightened up, or for some reason it sheared.”
The chopper’s rotors are nonetheless lacking, the Nationwide Transportation Security Board mentioned at a press convention Friday.
The time period “Jesus nut” was more than likely coined in the course of the Vietnam Struggle — referring to the truth that if it occurred to detach, the one factor the crew may do was pray to Jesus, in accordance with Expertise.org.
The tragic crash on Thursday afternoon took the lives of the pilot, Navy veteran Sean Johnson, 36, and a household of vacationers — Agustín Escobar, 49, his spouse, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three youngsters — Augustin, 10, Mercedes, 8, and Victor, 4 — in tow.
Mercedes would’ve celebrated her ninth birthday on the Large Apple journey.
The household launched into the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV sightseeing chopper, which broke aside in midair and plunged into the Hudson River 25 minutes into its tour of Manhattan.
The plane had a mechanical problem with its transmission final September, in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration information. By then, it had logged 12,728 hours of flight time.
The Escobar household’s family posted a heartfelt word on X on Friday to honor them.
“There are no words to describe what we are experiencing, nor to thank you for the warmth received,” mentioned the letter, posted on X by Joan Camprubí Montal, and signed by 19 members of the Escobar and Camprubí Montal households.
“These are very difficult times, but optimism and joy have always characterized our family. We want to preserve the memory of a happy and united family, in the sweetest moment of their lives.”
