Each passenger was also equipped with a supplemental harness system which allowed them to move within the cabin and sit in the door sill while airborne.

[7] Liberty Helicopters spent $120,000 lobbying the mayor's office and the Economic Development Corporation in 2015, according to an article about the curtailment of tourist flights from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in 2016.

[6] The pilot, following the passengers' requests for sights, flew toward the Statue of Liberty at an altitude ranging from 300–500 ft (91–152 m) above ground level (agl), then proceeded to the Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park.

[6] After contacting the tower at LaGuardia Airport to request entry into its controlled airspace, the pilot started to climb to approximately 2,000 ft (610 m) agl.

[6] Onboard video reviewed after the crash showed the front passenger turned in his seat so he was facing outboard with his legs outside the helicopter.

While taking several photographs between 19:00 and 19:05, he leaned backward and his supplemental harness tether hung down loosely near the helicopter's floor-mounted controls.

At 19:05:51, when he sat up again, video showed the tail of the tether became taut, then suddenly released; this was followed two seconds later by decreased engine noises.

[4]: 5 According to several witnesses, the helicopter suddenly descended near the northern end of Roosevelt Island and then plummeted into the river.

[11][4]: 5 During the descent, the pilot attempted to restart the engine at least twice, and then he confirmed the fuel flow control lever was still positioned for normal operation.

[6] Subsequent review of a video showing the descent (recorded by a witness using a cellphone) led aviation experts to believe the passengers would have survived had the helicopter not turned over and sunk.

[4]: 26 The pilot, who was not attached to the aircraft by a supplemental harness, unbuckled his manufacturer-provided primary restraint after the helicopter was submerged and escaped.

[2] Almost immediately, passengers on previous flights pointed out the "complicated system of straps, carabiners and an emergency blade for cutting [the proprietary eight-point Safety Harness System] off in case of trouble" and inadequate training as probable causes for the passengers' deaths in a March 12 New York Times article about the crash.

[15] When discussing the restraint system used on the accident flight, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said: "The contraption that FlyNYON rigged up turned a perfectly good helicopter into a death trap.

The post-crash examination of N350LH showed the left skid emergency float's pressurized gas cylinder gauge indicated about 0 psi (0 kPa) while the right skid's pressurized gas cylinder gauge indicated about 4,000 psi (28,000 kPa), implying the right side had failed to fully inflate.

"[6] FlyNYON is a spinoff of NY On Air (NYONair), which was founded by Patrick Day, Jr. in 2012 to coordinate aerial photography flights for professional and corporate photographers.

[4]: 53 NYONair performed an independent investigation and made the following recommendations:[19] The family of one victim sued FlyNYON and Liberty Helicopters on March 14, alleging that it was impossible for passengers to free themselves from their harnesses during an emergency.

[21] In September 2024, a jury awarded $116 million to the victim's family, apportioning the liability as follows: 42% with FlyNYON, 38% with Liberty Helicopters, and 20% to Dart Aerospace.

[22] According to NTSB safety recommendations A-10-129 and -130, issued on October 20, 2010, the design of the emergency fuel shutoff lever in the Eurocopter AS350 cockpit "allows for easy access to and inadvertent movement of (the lever), which could cause a serious or catastrophic accident if the movement occurs at a critical point during flight or on the ground.