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Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why the so-called ‘Jesus nut' could be a key piece of evidence in Hudson River helicopter crash
A fist-sized piece of steel known as the 'Jesus nut' could be a crucial piece of evidence in the horrific helicopter crash that killed a Spanish family of five and their pilot in Manhattan earlier this week. The so-called 'Jesus nut' holds the main rotor to the mast of some helicopters — and some experts have speculated that it could have been why the chopper broke apart midair. 'What appears to have happened with this particular helicopter is that the rotor, the main rotor… had detached, because in one video we see the blades spinning away from the helicopter,' aviation analyst Julian Bray told The Sun. 'But this appears to have sliced through the back half of the helicopter, so the fuselage then drops like a stone into the river Hudson right opposite Pier 41.' Bray also said that it's standard procedure to regularly check the 'Jesus nut.' 'There is a particular procedure which has to be checked every time it's serviced, and it's known as the 'Jesus bolt' … because without that the whole thing will fall apart,' he said. 'It's either defective or wasn't tightened up, or for some reason it sheared.' The chopper's rotors are still missing, the National Transportation Safety Board said at a press conference Friday. The term 'Jesus nut' was most likely coined during the Vietnam War — referring to the fact that if it happened to detach, the only thing the crew could do was pray to Jesus, according to The tragic crash on Thursday afternoon took the lives of the pilot, Navy veteran Sean Johnson, 36, and a family of tourists — Agustín Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three children — Augustin, 10, Mercedes, 8, and Victor, 4 — in tow. Mercedes would've celebrated her 9th birthday on the Big Apple trip. The family embarked on the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV sightseeing chopper, which broke apart in midair and plunged into the Hudson River 25 minutes into its tour of Manhattan. The aircraft had a mechanical issue with its transmission last September, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. By then, it had logged 12,728 hours of flight time. The Escobar family's relatives posted a heartfelt note on X on Friday to honor them. 'There are no words to describe what we are experiencing, nor to thank you for the warmth received,' said the letter, posted on X by Joan Camprubí Montal, and signed by 19 members of the Escobar and Camprubí Montal families. 'These are very difficult times, but optimism and joy have always characterized our family. We want to preserve the memory of a happy and united family, in the sweetest moment of their lives.'
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
There's a whole ocean nearby. Why can't it be used to fight Myrtle Beach area wildfires?
Airplanes and Blackhawk helicopters have been dropping buckets of water onto wildfires that have raged in the Myrtle Beach area this weekend. But where are they getting the water? Yes, there's the Atlantic Ocean nearby that would be easy to use and provide enough water. However, saltwater isn't a good source to fight fires, and here's why. Most wildfires occur in the middle of nowhere and it's difficult to get water to those areas, said Doug Wood with the South Carolina Forestry Commission. About 1,600 acres continue to burn Monday in the Carolina Forest area. Only 30% of that has been contained, which means that it has been kept within a perimeter, but it hasn't been extinguished, Wood said. '(The water) is absolutely helping, but that's just not really available,' he said. Blackhawk helicopters with the South Carolina National Guard have been dumping water on wildfires since Sunday. Each helicopter bucket carries 600 gallons of water, according to a Facebook post. Most of that water has been taken from the Intracoastal Waterway or nearby lakes, Wood said. The ocean is not a viable water source because the waters are too choppy. With the recent windy conditions, which have contributed to the spread of the wildfires, there is only so much a single-engine plane can tolerate, Wood said. In addition, saltwater can be corrosive to firefighting equipment and cause damage to tools such as tanks, hydrants and hoses, according to Saltwater also can harm plant life, making the ecosystem barren for many years. It can also reduce the cooling effect of water, making it less efficient at lowering the temperature of the fire, according to Ocean water is usually only used if absolutely necessary. But because the Myrtle Beach area has many bodies of water, nearby lakes are perfect for this, Wood said.
