Picture Credits: REUTERS
New York, USA: A sightseeing helicopter carrying a Spanish family of five and their pilot crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon, killing all six people aboard in one of the city’s deadliest aviation incidents in years.
Agustín Escobar, a senior executive at Siemens based in Spain, was on board with his wife and three children when the helicopter went down near Jersey City, N.J., across the river from Manhattan. Law enforcement officials confirmed that all six people onboard, including the pilot, perished in the crash.
The Bell 206L LongRanger helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter, plunged into the river around 3:15 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise before the aircraft began tumbling, lost a rotor, and nose-dived into the water. Video footage captured the moment of impact, with debris visibly scattering across the surface of the river.
Just before the tragic crash, the pilot radioed a warning that the aircraft was out of fuel. Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter, the company that operated the tour and supplied the chopper confirmed the aircraft had run out of fuel shortly after takeoff. “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,” Roth told The Telegraph, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
Roth said he was inundated with messages before another pilot from his company flew over the Hudson and spotted the overturned helicopter in the water. “We’re all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying. The death of the child of any human being is a monumental disaster,” he added.
Emergency responders from New York City and Jersey City rushed to the site, near a ventilation building above the Holland Tunnel. Two passengers were pulled from the water alive but later succumbed to their injuries. The remaining four victims were recovered from the wreckage.
Picture Credits: New York Helicopter Tours LLC
Flight Path and Operator History
Officials said the helicopter had taken off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. Its planned sightseeing route included circling the Statue of Liberty, flying north to the George Washington Bridge, and returning south along the New Jersey shoreline. The aircraft crashed during the return leg.
New York Helicopter has operated excursions over the city for years but has a checkered safety record. In 2013, one of its helicopters was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson after losing power. That flight also carried tourists.
Ongoing Investigation
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the inquiry, assisted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the helicopter recovery operation is being supported by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Investigators are expected to analyze mechanical factors, pilot actions, and possible environmental influences. Strong wind gusts were present in the area at the time of the crash.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that all six individuals onboard were three adults and three children had been pulled from the water. “Our hearts go out to the families of those who were onboard,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “All six have been pronounced deceased.”
The Downtown Skyport on the East River was shut down Thursday afternoon, according to a worker at the site who said the closure was due to the crash “and many other things.”
Picture Credits: NYC Post
A Tragic Pattern in NYC’s Skies
Thursday’s tragedy is the third deadly helicopter crash linked to New York City tourism in the past two decades. In 2009, a sightseeing helicopter collided midair with a small plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people. In 2018, a doors-off flight crashed into the East River, flipped, and sank killing five passengers.
Despite persistent complaints about helicopter noise and air pollution, thousands of flights depart annually from heliports across the city, offering tourists quick aerial views of Central Park, the World Trade Center, and the Statue of Liberty.
President Donald Trump offered his condolences on Truth Social following what he described as a “terrible helicopter crash,” writing: “My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims of the terrible helicopter crash in New York City. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his team are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly. God bless the families and friends of the victims.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also expressed grief in a formal statement: “Six innocent souls have lost their lives, and we pray for them and their families. This tragedy is heartbreaking and worse than we could have imagined.”
The main rotor and tail boom separated mid-air. Rotor blades were fully detached from the fuselage but continued spinning as they fell.#HudsonRiver #HelicopterCrash #Breaking pic.twitter.com/xrMUQ5SMRr
— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) April 10, 2025
Similar Incident in Malaysia
Hours earlier, a Leonardo AW189 helicopter operated by Malaysia’s Fire and Rescue Department crashed during a maintenance test near Subang’s Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. All seven people on board including firefighters and flight engineers survived with no serious injuries.
Malaysian authorities said the helicopter made a hard landing during a series of ascent and descent maneuvers conducted as part of a maintenance test. The country’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau has launched a formal investigation.
Traffic Disruptions and Aftermath
Back in New York, the Hudson River crash caused major traffic congestion along the West Side Highway and surrounding streets. Commuters were urged to avoid the area as emergency crews continued salvage efforts.
Dozens of first responders, boats, and divers remained active near Pier 40, where the helicopter’s wreckage lay obscured beneath the waterline. Helicopters circled overhead as investigators worked late into the evening.
The NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report in the coming days. Until then, the exact cause of the crash remains unknown.
Stay tuned to Aviation Today for more such news!
