A sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near Manhattan on Thursday afternoon, killing all six people on board, including three children, authorities confirmed.
Video captured the helicopter spinning uncontrollably before slamming into the water off Jersey City, New Jersey, around 3:15 p.m. Witnesses reported a loud explosion and noted that one of the rotor blades appeared to be missing as the aircraft hit the river at high speed.
Among the victims were Spanish national Agustín Escobar, a Siemens technology executive, and his family — two adults and three children — according to a senior law enforcement official who spoke anonymously due to the ongoing investigation. The pilot also died in the crash.
Two passengers were still alive when rescue divers reached them but later succumbed to their injuries, said New York Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch at a press briefing.
“Six innocent souls have lost their lives, and we pray for them and their families,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
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This marks the deadliest helicopter crash in New York City in at least seven years.
The helicopter involved, a Bell 206, was operated by New York Helicopter, a company known for offering sightseeing tours priced in the hundreds of dollars. CEO Michael Roth stated he was unsure what caused the crash; the aircraft had been leased from a Louisiana-based company. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation.
Flight data indicates the helicopter took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m., circled the Statue of Liberty, flew north near the New York shoreline to the George Washington Bridge, and was heading south along New Jersey’s shoreline when it went down, Commissioner Tisch said.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as horrifying.
Mandy Bowlin, visiting from Chattanooga, Tennessee, said she was on a Circle Line tour boat when she heard a loud noise and saw the helicopter drop from the sky. A rotor blade detached mid-air, and the aircraft dove nose-first into the river. Bowlin, concerned for her daughter’s safety, recalled debris flying toward the boat.
“We’re kind of shook up,” she said. “It was scary.”
Peter Park, a Jersey City resident, said he heard a loud explosion and saw smoke trailing from the helicopter. He saw rotor blades plummet into the river dangerously close to the shoreline and immediately called 911 after texting his wife.
Rescue teams, including police boats and divers, quickly arrived at the scene, surrounding the overturned aircraft in the frigid waters.
Every year, thousands of helicopter tours take off from various New York heliports, promising aerial views of iconic landmarks like Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, and One World Trade Center — some in as little as 15 minutes.
This latest tragedy is the third fatal helicopter crash involving tourist flights in the city in the past 20 years. In 2009, a sightseeing chopper collided with a private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people. In 2018, an open-door helicopter crashed into the East River, killing five passengers — only the pilot survived.
That 2018 incident was traced back to an improvised harness system that snagged the fuel shut-off lever, killing the engine. Ironically, the safety harnesses meant to keep passengers secure in the open-door helicopter trapped them as water flooded the cabin. In 2023, a jury awarded $116 million in damages to the family of one of the victims, 26-year-old Trevor Cadigan.
Since 1977, at least 32 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York City, according to the Associated Press.