As someone who has experienced the pax end of an NYC trip, and is a heli pilot, could anyone explain to me exactly what use floats would have been in this incident? The eyewitness reports vary from "upside down" to "nose first". If indeed the heli did go in at an angle, then floats would most likely have made the incident more violent - if the pilot had time to deploy them.
The death was maybe unavoidable. The victim was a large lady in the back of a 206. People next to her escaped. She didn't.
Surely, before the politicians get their knee-jerk going, the industry must ask a collective question. Are any public transport ops safe from such a location? Would a fully loaded twin do any better? I doubt it - and this incident may not be EF.
I refuse to be a speculator - but I hope all avenues will be exposed fairly and that tail rotor design & performance is given a thorough look.
And W&B.