On March 10, 1997, a helicopter crash occurred in the East River near Manhattan, New York City, killing all five people on board. The helicopter, a Bell 206, lost control after taking off from a heliport and crashed into the river, shortly before it was due to land at its destination. The pilot and four passengers, who were en route to a business meeting, were unable to escape from the submerged helicopter. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, none of the passengers survived, and the crash raised concerns about the safety of commercial helicopter flights in urban areas. The incident prompted investigations into aviation safety practices and led to improvements in both helicopter design and emergency response protocols.