A helicopter carrying a European executive and his family plunged into New York’s Hudson River Thursday afternoon, leaving no survivors in what witnesses described as a midair breakup of the aircraft.
A sightseeing helicopter crashed into New York City’s Hudson River on Thursday, killing all six people aboard including a European technology executive, his wife, and their three young children, authorities confirmed.
The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter went down near Pier 40 in Lower Manhattan around 3:00 p.m., breaking apart before hitting the water, according to witness accounts and video footage of the incident.
New York Mayor Eric Adams confirmed during a news conference that all six occupants had perished in the crash. Four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were transported to a hospital where they later died, according to the New York Police Department.
“Due to a helicopter crash in the Hudson River, in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street, expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas,” the NYPD said in a social media post shortly after the incident.
The passengers were identified as Agustin Escobar, an executive at Siemens, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, aged four, five, and 11, ABC News reported. The identity of the 36-year-old pilot was not immediately released.
Flight data showed the helicopter departed from Lower Manhattan at approximately 3:00 p.m. and traveled north along the Hudson River before turning around near the George Washington Bridge. The aircraft then flew south along the New Jersey shoreline before the crash occurred.
A witness told NBC News that the helicopter appeared to suffer an engine failure before going down.
“It sounded like, like an engine just dying … and I just turned, I look, and I saw the helicopter crash and splashing to the water,” the witness said.
Weather conditions at the time included winds between nine and 12 miles per hour from the south and southeast, with some gusts reaching up to 21 mph. Visibility was reported at up to 10 miles, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
The helicopter, registered as N216MH, was manufactured in 2004 and owned by Meridian Helicopters LLC, based in Broussard, Louisiana. It was reportedly operated by New York Helicopter Tours, a company that promotes its Bell 206 and L-4 LongRanger IV helicopters as the “safest, most reliable aircraft in the world.”
Pier 40, near where the crash occurred, is a multi-use facility along the Hudson River with sports fields, a large parking area, and tourist party boats.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have both launched investigations into the crash. As of Thursday evening, the helicopter wreckage remained submerged in the river.
The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV is part of Bell Helicopter’s popular 206 series and can seat up to seven passengers. The model is powered by an Allison 250-C30P engine capable of producing up to 495 horsepower. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 110 knots (127 miles per hour) and a service ceiling of 13,500 feet.
Key Takeaways
- Six people, including a Siemens executive, his wife, three children, and the pilot, died in a helicopter crash in New York’s Hudson River.
- The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter reportedly broke apart in midair before hitting the water near Pier 40.
- Witnesses reported what sounded like engine failure before the crash.
The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause of the accident.
