Death[edit]
On October 22, 1986, Dornacker was giving one of the station's N-Copter traffic reports during the Joey Reynolds Show on WNBC Radio in New York City. At 4:44 p.m., the Enstrom F-28 helicopter she was aboard plunged into the Hudson River from an altitude of roughly 75 feet (23 m). Dornacker was starting her report for incoming New Jersey traffic when the helicopter suffered mechanical failure in mid broadcast and crashed. Her last words were, "Hit the water, hit the water, hit the water!"
The F-28 helicopter nose-dived, struck the top of a chain link fence at a river pier, crashed into the Hudson River very near to the Manhattan shore and sank in 15 to 20 feet (5 to 6 m) of water. Both occupants were trapped for nearly 10–15 minutes before help arrived. Dornacker died on her way to Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center. She was 39 years old. Pilot Bill Pate, the only other occupant, was severely injured but survived.
In the subsequent investigation, the NTSB found that the sprag clutch that was installed in the helicopter, which was on lease to WNBC Radio by Spectrum Helicopters of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, was a military surplus part which was not designed for use in a civilian aircraft, and that the part had not been adequately lubricated. It directly led to a mid-air seizure of the main rotor blades.[1]
Final crash transcript[edit]
Aircheck of the incident
“Joey Reynolds: Okay, here's Jane Dornacker now in the N-Copter.
(NBC chimes)
Dornacker: "Thank you very much, Joey. There was indeed an accident southbound on the Major Deegan at the Mosholu Parkway, an accident, a serious accident involving a tractor trailer and a car. It has been pushed off to the shoulder but now watch out there now because another flatbed truck is going to have to come to clear it so yield right-of-way. Northbound on the BQE, we've spotted that disabled vehicle in the right-hand lane before the Kosciuszko, not causing much of a backup, but further northbound there on the BQE, traffic is very, very heavy, past the Kosciuszko all the way over to the LIE. The outbound Holland Tunnel extra-heavy for you right now; earlier there was a car fire at Hudson and Canal Street. It has been cleared out except heading to New Jersey, the outbound Lincoln Tunnel looks a lot better for you. In New Jersey...
(helicopter engine overspeed)
Hit the water! Hit the water! Hit the water!
(Brief static followed by five seconds of dead air)
Reynolds: Okay, we're gonna play some, uh, some music here I think. Find out what's going on with the helicopter. Something happened there. It's, uh, quarter of 5; 16 'til 5 on WNBC, on the Joey Reynolds show. We're taking an N-Copter report from Jane Dornacker. Let's check in and see how they're doing there and then we'll come right back at you.
("Hip to Be Square" plays)
Reynolds: I hope nothing happened with Jane. We had, uh, a helicopter report, from the N-Copter. Of course, you know, once before, we had this happen. A few months ago, she went down in the, uh, in the drink. Not she, I mean, she has a... pilot. Jane is, uh...
Other voice: Well, until we find out what's going on, we'll just...
Reynolds: Jane was up there just now giving us a report, and sometimes it just gets cut off, too, you know. It's just an electronic thing. But, uh, this time she said, uh, "hit the water," or something like that. So we're going to find out what's going on there, so stay tuned. We hope nothing... say a little prayer, hope nothing's, nothing's wrong. That's really a... (deep breath) that's a hard, hard job.
