By PIX11 Newsroom pix11.com

6:29 p.m. EDT, October 12, 2011
NEW YORK (PIX11)—
A second passenger from the helicopter that crashed into the East River last Tuesday has died, Bellevue officials confirmed Wednesday.

Helen Tamaki, 43, was in critical condition before dying of injuries sustained in the accident , according to officials.

Tamaki was on a private sightseeing tour with three others -- Paul Nicholson, 72, his wife, Harriet, 60, and Helen's lifetime partner, Sonia Marra, who was celebrating her 40th birthday -- when the helicopter missed the helipad and slammed into the East River around 3:20 p.m., quickly sinking below the surface.

While the pilot, Paul Dudley, and three passengers were pulled from the water within minutes, Sonia Marra died after being trapped in the helicopter. Police recovered her body an hour and a half after the crash.

Tamaki and Harriet Nicholson were taken to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition.

The NTSB released results of an investigation into the incident, and have ruled out any mechanical failure. In fact, the helicopter passed its annual maintenance just two days before the deadly accident. PIX11 News has learned that investigators are now focusing on the question of weight. The Bell 206 chopper has a maximum weight limit of 1300 lbs., and was carrying roughly 300 lbs. when it spun into the cold East River waters.

The investigation into the cause of the deadly accident is ongoing.