Helicopter crash into NYC's Hudson River kills 6 on sightseeing tour
NEW YORK ‒ A Spanish family of five on an aerial sightseeing tour of New York City died along with their pilot when their helicopter crashed upside down into the Hudson River.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the single-engine Bell 206 helicopter operated by sightseeing company New York Helicopter crashed into the river separating Manhattan from New Jersey shortly after 3:15 p.m. on April 10.
Adams said the victims were five members of a Spanish family — two adults and three children — and the pilot. Divers helped remove the victims from the water. Four were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were taken to area hospitals where they died, officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
In a message on Truth Social, President Donald Trump offered his condolences to the families and friends of the victims, adding that Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and his staff were investigating the crash.
"Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!" Trump added.
Reports: Siemens executive, family among the victims
According to The New York Times and ABC News, a tech company executive and his family were killed in the helicopter crash.
Agustin Escobar, an executive with Siemens, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, aged 4, 5, and 11 years old, all died along with the pilot, 36, ABC News reported, citing law enforcement sources.
Paste BN reached out to Siemens for comment.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez released a statement and called the crash an "unimaginable tragedy."
"Five Spaniards from the same family, three of them children, and the pilot have lost their lives," Sanchez said on X. "I sympathize with the victims' loved ones at this heartbreaking time."
Authorities: Helicopter appeared to have hit the water 'inverted'
Authorities said the cause of the crash is under investigation, but the helicopter appeared to have hit the water "inverted." The black-and-gold helicopter's silver skids, kept afloat by airbags, stuck out of the water as rescue officials swarmed the crash site.
The U.S. Coast Guard had restricted boat traffic across the Hudson River for 1 mile north and 1 mile south of the Holland Tunnel, a twin-tube vehicular tunnel connecting Manhattan and New Jersey, near where the helicopter crashed into the water. Later in the evening, a Coast Guard news release said officials reopened boat traffic to pass through on the New York side of the river with permission from authorities.
Coast Guard officials are working with the Army Corps of Engineers and NTSB to salvage the helicopter.
Helicopter tours are a popular way to see New York City landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, and Wall Street. Officials described a flight path mirroring the path of the company's tours, which cost about $274 per person.
AccuWeather said the skies were cloudy with a southeast wind at 10 to 15 mph at the time of the crash.
Hours afterward, dozens of FDNY and NYPD vehicles remained staged in the area as at least two drones flew above the Hudson as drizzle fell. Despite the rain, visibility across the river was clear across to New Jersey and south to Staten Island.
Eyewitness: 'It sounded like an engine just dying'
Dominick Cognata told NBC News he was walking along the West Side Highway when the helicopter crashed into the Hudson River.
"It sounded like, like an engine just dying," Cognata explained to NBC News. "I just turned, I look, and I saw the helicopter crash and splashing into the water."
Cognata added that he called 911 immediately after the crash and used Pier 40 as a reference point to direct rescue crews.
"It was crazy," he told the television station. "I walk along this path almost every day for exercise and to just see that live — I've lived here my whole life. I've witnessed 9/11, I worked in the next building, so this is just something added to that list of unfortunate things I've seen happen in Manhattan."
Latest crash in the area
Flight records published by aviation tracking service FlightRadar24 showed the helicopter took off from lower Manhattan at 3 p.m. before circling briefly near the Statue of Liberty, then flew north at about 1,000 feet above the Hudson River, looping past the George Washington Bridge and heading back toward Manhattan.
Helicopter safety has been a topic of discussion in Congress after 67 people were killed in a crash between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter on Jan. 29 near Reagan National Airport. The FAA has since permanently restricted helicopter traffic near the airport and is reviewing helicopter operations near other major airports.
Among recent helicopter crashes in the area, according to Stop the Chop, were the June 10, 2019, crash of a commuter helicopter that hit the Equitable Building in midtown, killing the pilot, and the May 15, 2019, crash of a commuter helicopter into the Hudson River near the West 30th St. Heliport; that pilot escaped to safety. And on March 11, 2018, a "flightseeing" helicopter crashed into the East River, killing five passengers.
"With over 30 NYC helicopter crashes since 1980 (many resulting in serious injuries and fatalities), the risk of bodily harm to residents and tourists by nonessential helicopters flying above our densely populated area is too great a danger to allow," Stop the Chop argues.
New York's federal lawmakers quickly thanked first responders as emergency efforts continued. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand shared in a post on X that she was "praying for all those involved in this tragic incident."
Rep. Dan Goldman, whose district includes lower Manhattan, shared on X: "My heart is with all those affected by the helicopter crash in the Hudson River, especially the victims and their families during this difficult time."
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Charles A. Ventura, Paste BN; Reuters