Veteran pilot reflects on catastrophic Hudson River helicopter crash

SALT LAKE CITY — Ben Tidswell, a seasoned helicopter pilot with over two decades of experience and more than 9,000 hours in the sky, expressed his shock and disbelief at the rare and tragic helicopter crash that occurred Wednesday afternoon. The incident, which saw the aircraft disintegrate mid-air before plunging into the Hudson River, left even the experienced Chopper 5 pilot stunned. "It's a very unusual thing to happen in any aircraft. They're built incredibly strong," Tidswell said in a national video interview. Witnessing the helicopter fall from the sky in pieces was a sight he described as extraordinary and deeply unsettling. Tidswell speculated on the possible causes of such a catastrophic failure, suggesting scenarios like an engine malfunction or a disconnection between the engine, transmission and rotor system. "That kind of thing normally only happens in some kind of catastrophe," he said, emphasizing that his thoughts were purely speculative at this stage. The crash, which occurred at altitude, resulted in the wreckage falling at terminal velocity into the river. Tidswell explained that the impact with the water would have been as unforgiving as hitting cement. "In this particular accident, it was catastrophic failure at altitude, and the remainder of the wreckage fell basically at terminal velocity into the river," he said. "At that point in time, you're hitting the river — it may as well be cement." As investigators begin their work to uncover the cause of the crash, Tidswell shared his personal resolve to learn from the incident. "I want to learn as much about what happened as possible so I can avoid putting myself in a situation where that could happen to me," he said. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release a preliminary report in the coming days, though a final report may take years to complete. For now, the aviation community and the public await answers to the questions surrounding this rare and devastating event.

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