Five Dead in Chopper Crash in NY River

The pilot of a helicopter that went down in New York’s East River Sunday is the sole survivor of the crash, after all five passengers died, authorities say. Three of the passengers had been taken to hospital with critical injuries after surviving the crash, but the New York City Fire Department confirmed their deaths early Monday, CNN reported. The sixth person on the helicopter, the pilot, was able to free himself and was rescued, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said earlier. He was taken to the hospital for observation. “One of the most difficult parts of the rescue were that five people were tightly harnessed,” Nigro said. “People had to be cut out.” In an audio recording of a mayday call to LaGuardia Airport, the pilot can be heard saying that the helicopter was experiencing engine failure.