Hudson River helicopter crash: Britain's Got Talent star flew on tragic aircraft days before disaster

A former star has revealed his own connection to the helicopter which crashed into the Hudson River in New York on Thursday. as it plunged towards the river which flows through New York City.

The Federal Aviation Administration has revealed that the doomed New York Helicopter tour aircraft was a Bell 206 model which is often used across the States for commercial and government aviation – including the use by sightseeing companies, TV news broadcasters and police. The aircraft type was previously used by the United States army before it was adapted for further use.

Now, Harry Mondryk who appeared on the talent show in 2010 has revealed to the his own link to the helicopter with the tail number N216MH, which he had flown on just days before the devastating crash. Manchester-born Harry, 27, revealed his joy after being able to sit in the cockpit of the chopper during his flight over Manhattan.

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Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, singer Harry said he and his group had to turn up at least an hour before the scheduled flight with New York Helicopter Tours and if you are late, you face a fee. "The staff made you feel very comfortable," he said. Harry's flight was due to take off at 2pm local time but one of the aircrafts was "running low on fuel" so he had to wait a little while longer.

"Just as a group before me were about to go, they said 'We're going to be able to squeeze you onto this flight,'" he added. But this left the singer completely overjoyed as it meant he was able to travel in the cockpit alongside the pilot while the other passengers were in the main cabin.

Harry said: "I thought this was an amazing experience, I think that they might charge extra for that privilege. I waited, they took you through the safety protocols and they give you a harness which has a small yellow package which would open into a life jacket in case the worst was to happen.

"Nobody thinks is going to happen which is what is crazy after what's happened here. You get walked out onto the helipad and it's very organised, very professional." During our exclusive chat, Harry emphasised that he wasn't able to criticise any members of staff as they were "very nice" and reassuring during his excursion.

"The pilot was very nice, I had my own personal interaction with him because I was sat in the front with him," he said, adding: "I can't fault them. This is a horrible thing that's happened, it's absolutely tragic." Following Harry's flight, a friend who was waiting for him on the ground later informed him that he noticed some errors.

"He has since sent me a message, he was filming from a bench at the side of the river that he did feel a little bit concerned when I was about to set off," Harry explained. He continued: "The way that one of the blades was moving against the others, I don't know if he means on this helicopter or another helicopter – there's a line of them, there's two or three different ones on the helipad at the same time.

"I don't know if he means my blades were moving differently to the other helicopters or he meant one specific blade on my helicopter was moving strange compared to the other one on the same helicopter." Harry stated that his flight was "very smooth" with the landing also being smooth.

"I can't fault it at all, to see what's happened is really shocking," he said. Harry, who is currently in hospital with pneumonia and a heart condition said his current situation is a "perfect script" for Final Destination. He continued: "Having been in the exact same helicopter, there's multiple helicopters there on that company but having it been the exact same one and having me come home and be in hospital in a serious situation – one pneumonia and an other being heart problems, it's quite an extreme thought process. All you can do is feel terrible for the family with everything that's happened."

Harry explained that since returning to , he has been in constant contact with his friend who noticed the concerns surrounding the helicopter blades. "He sent me the link," he said of hearing about the devastating crash without realising it was the same tour organiser and the same aircraft.

"He's just told me that about half an hour ago, we're not experts, we don't know how helicopter blades are supposed to look," he said. He added that it was a "scary" prospect of going in a helicopter without knowing of any concerns surrounding the aircraft. Harry said: "If you allow your mind to go that way, you can find fault with anything. When he told me now, it's quite an unbelievable situation as you can imagine. I was on there last week.

"Exactly the same helicopter and he's told me that - it didn't make me feel too crazy, if you're fearful you can find reasons to pick things apart. It is quite scary he's said that, he didn't tell me at the time. It's a very strange one, all I can be is grateful that it didn't happen when I was there.

"It's scary to think that if there is a part that was failing, it seems it's not been a pilot error, it seems the helicopter had broken apart in the air. The chances are, whatever has broken, was already weak when I was on it." Following the tragic accident, CEO of New York Helicopters, Michael Roth, said: "I'm absolutely devastated. The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren't on the helicopter. And I haven't seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business." The company had leased the aircraft from its Louisiana-based owner.

The exact cause of the crash is yet to be established but an investigation crew is at the scene, which is near Pier 40 near West Village and a short distance from New York City's financial district.

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