Relative of Hudson River helicopter crash family flies in to US to identify bodies

The causes of decease for nan family of 5 and aviator killed successful the tragic Hudson River chopper crash person yet to beryllium wished — arsenic a comparative of 1 of nan dormant has arrived successful nan US to perchance place nan bodies, authorities said Saturday.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said nan relative of Mercè Camprubi Montal — who was killed successful nan mishap Thursday alongside her hubby and their 3 young children — had flown successful from Spain Friday.

“There is still rather spot of a process to spell done now,” Fulop told The Post Saturday while awaiting an day property convention from nan National Transportation Safety Board.

“The family personnel whitethorn person to ID nan bodies and they still person to put carrier backmost to Spain. The Spanish consulate is progressive and Siemens has group moving connected this.”

The bodies are being kept astatine nan Hudson County Medical Examiner’s agency successful nan meantime.

“They still person to fig retired nan cause of death, was it from drowning aliases was it from nan propeller? Right now we’re each waiting to perceive what nan NTSB has to say,” said Fulop.

Camprubi Montal, her husband, Agustin Escobar, and their 3 young kids — Augustin, 10, Mercedes, 8, and Victor, 4 — and their pilot, erstwhile Navy seasoned Sean Johnson, 36, were astir 25 minutes into their sightseeing circuit successful nan Bell 206L chopper erstwhile it abruptly collapsed isolated complete nan Hudson River and collapsed into nan frigid waters adjacent Jersey City.

An aviation master said it’s apt Johnson knew thing was earnestly incorrect arsenic nan chopper collapsed isolated midair.

“I deliberation nan aviator would person been alert thing was incorrect but nan passengers whitethorn not have,” aviation lawyer Jim Brauchle told The Post. “Obviously pilots who alert each nan clip are going to cognize thing is incorrect but passengers whitethorn not admit nan threat they are successful correct away.”

“Once nan point starts spinning, past group cognize it’s thing catastrophic. Passengers yet fig it out.”

Brauchle said nan doomed passengers and aviator mightiness person died either from blunt unit trauma aliases drowning.

“You dream nan group wrong sewage knocked retired because if they were conscious, that would person been horrible. Once it inverted, they whitethorn person deed their heads connected nan wrong of nan helicopter,” he said. “For their sakes, you dream that’s what occurred. There’s a bully chance they were unconscious.”

Brauchle added that erstwhile nan chopper rotor is separated from nan craft and nan tail is sheared off, location is thing moreover nan astir master aviator tin do.

“Once you suffer nan rotor blades, it’s unrecoverable. The logic it [the chopper] flips upside down is that nan tile of nan chopper is nan heaviest part. Once you suffer nan main rotors, it fundamentally becomes a stone — there’s thing to create a lift,” he said.

Relatives of nan Camprubí Montal and Escobar families opportunity they are taking solace successful nan truth that their loved ones “passed distant together’’ successful nan “sweetest infinitesimal of their lives.’’

“There are nary words to picture what we are experiencing, nor to convey you for nan warmth received,” said a letter posted connected X by Joan Camprubí Montal connected Friday.

“These are very difficult times, but optimism and joyousness person ever characterized our family,” said nan statement, which was signed by 19 Escobar and Camprubí Montal family members. “We want to sphere nan representation of a happy and agreed family, successful nan sweetest infinitesimal of their lives.