Navy Friend of NYC Helicopter Crash Pilot Suspects Maintenance Failure, Not Fuel Shortage

The official story about the crash in New York City last week that killed chopper pilot Seankese "Sean" Johnson and five Spanish tourists is being questioned by a Navy SEAL veteran who has known Johnson for a long time.

Remi Adeleke, a former SEAL who met Johnson in 2014 while they were both in the Navy's tactical support, thinks that the crash in the Hudson River was more likely caused by a repair problem than by running out of fuel.

Adeleke told The Daily News, "Even if you ran out of fuel, your propeller blade wouldn't come off." "That's a problem with maintenance." There wasn't a lock or screw on something.

There were no flight recorders on the Bell 206L-4 chopper being flown by the New York chopper. It was on its eighth tour of the day. Michael Roth, the CEO, said that Johnson had radioed in that the plane was running low on fuel right before it crashed.

Adeleke, who served in the Navy for 13 years, is still unsure. That doesn't happen in the middle of the sky, he said.

People from Spain—Agustin Escobar, a Siemens official, his wife, and their three children—died in the crash along with Johnson.

Adeleke said Johnson was a "genuinely good person" who wanted to encourage young Black guys to become pilots. Johnson was an executive security officer before he became a tour pilot, and he often kept Adeleke up to date on his progress in flight school.

Adeleke said, "He was like a little brother." "His calm and kind personality made everyone want to be around him."

The NTSB is still looking into what happened, and they are now also looking into whether birds were near the crash site. Johnson's family, friends, and former coworkers are still looking for answers and grieving the loss of a pilot whose life was a quiet determination and service model.

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