A charter helicopter crashed into the East River in New York City on March 11 at 7 p.m., killing five passengers and sparing only the pilot.

The helicopter had been chartered for a private photo shoot, being run by Liberty Helicopters. In a preliminary interview with ABC News on March 12, pilot Richard Vance, 33, said that a passenger’s harness may have been wrapped around the emergency fuel shut-off switch, cutting off fuel to the helicopter’s engine.

According to authorities, Vance issued a distress call minutes before the crash, citing an engine failure. Multiple witnesses reported seeing the helicopter descend from the sky and hover over the water then suddenly plummet downwards. When police and emergency officials responded to the scene, the helicopter was facing upside down and submerged, trapping passengers Carla Vallejos Blanco, Brian McDaniel, Trevor Cadigan, Tristan Hill and Daniel Thompson inside. Two passengers were announced dead at the scene, and the three others died at the hospital. The chopper was hoisted by a crane from the river Monday afternoon.

The crash was the third for Liberty helicopters in the past 11 years, according to a March 12 CNN article. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the pilot’s training, the chopper’s flotation devices and the immediate response to the crash in attempts to determine ultimate responsibility.

The family of one of the victims is suing the aircraft’s owner and operator and the pilot for failing to extricate the passengers. New York Sen. Charles Schumer called for the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend Liberty’s license until the bureau conducts a full safety assessment.