Here’s what we currently know about the helicopter accident that tragically occurred in the Hudson River.
At approximately 3:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 10, a helicopter went down into the New York river near Jersey City, resulting in the deaths of all six individuals on board.
The remains of five tourists and the pilot were recovered from the site of the crash involving a Bell 06L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter.
According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Spanish family consisting of five individuals, including three young children, were among those who perished.
The victims have been identified as parents Agustín Escobar and Merce Camprubi Montal, along with their children aged four, five, and 11, according to the BBC.
The pilot’s identity remains unknown, but he too lost his life in the incident.
Mayor Adams called the occurrence ‘heartbreaking and tragic’ and expressed his condolences, stating, “Our hearts go out to the families.”
The helicopter was operated by New York Helicopters, offering aerial tours of the city. It took off from Downtown Skyport in lower Manhattan at 2:59 p.m. ET and had completed nine prior short flights that day, as per FlightAware data.
The Bell 206 model is commonly utilized by tour agencies, television channels, and law enforcement.
The helicopter was airborne for about 15 minutes before the crash, having circled Governor’s Island and flown near the Statue of Liberty before heading up the Hudson River on the New York side. It then turned near the George Washington Bridge and proceeded along the Jersey City coast, where it seemingly encountered trouble.
Video footage reveals the helicopter landing upside down in the water near Manhattan’s West Side Highway and Spring Street.
Eyewitnesses reported that the helicopter’s tail and rotors detached ‘mid-air’ before it descended into the river.
One witness described hearing the helicopter ‘splitting in two,’ likening the noise to ‘a sonic boom,’ while Ipsitaa Banigrhi, a resident of Jersey City, said the crash sounded like thunder and observed ‘black particles flying.’
NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned during a news conference that the helicopter ‘lost control and hit the water,’ ultimately being upside down upon impact.
Emergency crews were alerted at 3:17 p.m., with rescue boats promptly deployed, according to New York Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker.
Tucker stated that responders quickly reached the partially submerged helicopter to search for survivors and conducted ‘immediate life-saving measures.’
Authorities reported that four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the two remaining victims were transported to a nearby hospital, where they were later declared deceased.
Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter Charter Inc, informed The Telegraph that the pilot had contacted the base, indicating they were returning to the helipad for refueling but did not arrive as planned.
“He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” he stated.
The 71-year-old CEO expressed, “We’re all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying.”
“I got a call from my manager and my downtown heliport and she said she heard there was a crash, and then my phone blew up from everybody.”
“Then one of my pilots flew over the Hudson and saw the helicopter upside down.”
“The death of the child of any human being, is a monumental disaster,” he added.
Roth also remarked to the Wall Street Journal that he had ‘no clue’ regarding how the tragedy unfolded but acknowledged that helicopters can ‘break.’
“The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter,” Roth remarked.
He noted that such an incident is unprecedented in his three decades of experience but admitted, “These are machines, and they break.”
The wreckage is still being retrieved from the waters around Manhattan, and an investigation into the cause of the two-bladed helicopter crash is underway.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, as stated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
President Donald Trump expressed his thoughts on the tragedy on his Truth Social platform, describing it as ‘horrendous.’
The President said: “Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. Looks like six people, the pilot, two adults, and three children, are no longer with us.”
“The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it.”
“Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!”