Aircraft Accident Report - Midair Collision Over Hudson River, Piper PA-32R-300, N71MC, and Eurocopter AS350BA, N401LH, Near Hoboken, New Jersey, August 8, 2009

Animation

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Animation Description/Disclaimer

This animation consists of a two-dimensional (2-D) depiction of preliminary radar flight path information of the September 16, 2009 mid-air collision of a Piper 32 aircraft with a Eurocopter helicopter. The animation begins after the Piper’s departure from Teterboro airport, and continues until the collision.  The radar ground tracks for both aircraft are displayed on a satellite photo illustration of the area.
Selected comments from the Teterboro and Newark air traffic control (ATC) preliminary transcript are displayed as text, and the animation audio consists of portions of the recorded air traffic control communications. The animation does not depict the weather or visibility conditions at the time of the accident.

ATC Communications

  1. 1550:02       LC                 lance one mike charlie radar contact say altitude
  2. 1550:05       N71MC          seven mike charlie climbing out of four hundred
  3. 1550:08       LC                 lance one mike charlie roger traffic eleven o'clock and two miles northwest bound one thousand a helicopter
  4. 1550:13       N71MC          seven one mike charlie lookin
  5. 1550:15       N9TD             nine tango delta got em maintain visual
  6. 1550:17       LC                 helicopter nine tango delta thank you lance one mike Charlie the helicopter has you in sight
  7. 1550:22       N71MC          thank you sir
  8. 1550:24       N9TD             and nine t-d is comin up on georges
  9. 1550:26       LC                 helicopter nine tango delta taxiway juliet cleared to land
  10. 1550:29       N9TD             cleared to land juliet nine t-d
  11. 1550:32       LC                 PHONE CALL BEGINS
  12. 1551:17       LC                 one mike charlie start a left turn to join the hudson river
  13. 1551:20       N71MC          one mike Charlie
  14. 1551:59       LC                 beach one eight echo charlie teterboro  tower taxi runway one nine cross (unintelligible breaking up noise) I'll tell you what cross one nine at kehbeck an taxi to one nine
  15. 1552:10       N218EC         we'll ah taxi to one nine cross one nine at quebec
  16. 1552:19       LC                 lance one mike charlie contact newark tower one two seven point eight five
  17. 1552:20       N71 MC         one two seven point eight seven on mike charlie
  18. 1552:21       EWRT            hey teterboro Newark can you swith that guy maybe put him on a tw twenty heading to get hima away from that other traffic please
  19. 1552:28       LC                 say again Newark
  20. 1552:28       EWRT            Can you switch that PA32
  21. 1552:33       LC                 (static) uh I did keep an eye on him though (static)
  22. 1552:36       EWRT            I’m not talking to him so
  23. 1552:37       LC                 one mike Charlie Newark twenty seven eighty five
  24. 1552:41       LC                 (static) he's lost in the hertz try him again
  25. 1552:48       LC                 lance seven one mike charlie teterboro tower
  26. 1553:10       OPS              PHONE CALL ENDS