After the heartbreaking helicopter crash that took the lives of a family of five and the pilot, aviation expert Julian Bray has offered a possible explanation for the tragedy.
He believes the cause of the crash—and the mid-air disintegration of the helicopter before it plunged upside down into the Hudson River—may have been a failure of the crucial “Jesus nut.”
The “Jesus nut” is a single bolt that secures the entire rotor system in a helicopter. If it fails during flight, there’s nothing left to hold the rotor in place, making the aircraft impossible to control. The term comes from the grim notion that if it comes loose, “Jesus is the only hope.” That’s how critical this tiny component is.
In an interview with The Sun, the expert described the incident, saying, “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.
“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.”
Expert believes the reason behind the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of six could eb a faulty “Jesus nut.”He went on to mention the Jesus nut and the chance that it might have caused the tragic helicopter crash.
“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 looks as though it’s [the] Jesus bolt or Jesus PIN.”
According to Bray, the component may have been faulty—or perhaps it simply wasn’t properly tightened.
Hudson River Helicopter Crash video shows that the rotor blades were fully detached from the fuselage but still spinning. This likely was NOT engine failure. pic.twitter.com/uomJlEt7n7
— Box Cat DGAF (@cgraft) April 10, 2025
The investigation is still underway, but footage from the heartbreaking crash clearly shows the helicopter’s rotor separating mid-air.
One viewer pointed out in the comments, “Hudson River Helicopter Crash video shows that the rotor blades were fully detached from the fuselage but still spinning. This likely was NOT engine failure.”
Yes, the propeller is completely missing. Here, the copter is upside down. pic.twitter.com/RC5dS4Ao0F
— Stating The Obvious (@Stating3Obvious) April 10, 2025
The tragic crash took the lives of Agustín Escobar, president of Siemens Spain, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children, aged 4, 5, and 11.
Reports suggest the family had just arrived in New York the day before and planned to take in the city’s sights from above in a single-engine Bell 206 helicopter operated by New York Helicopter.
Moments before the tragic incident that took their lives, the family was seen posing both inside and in front of the helicopter, which had been airborne for around 18 minutes before the fatal crash. Reports say they had traveled to New York and rented the helicopter as part of a birthday celebration for one of their children.
