A tourist helicopter fell into the Hudson River on Thursday (10), turning a family trip into New York into a tragedy.
The helicopter carried six people, including three children and one Siemens executive – a multinational conglomerate of German technology.
He took off from a heliport in the Manhattan neighborhood and followed a known route: surrounding the Statue of Liberdade, planning north along the Hudson River towards the George Washington Bridge and then turning south.
About 16 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft fell into the water, according to analyzes CNN and the global Flightradar flight tracking service24.
Witnesses described the helicopter turning and spinning before falling upside down, spreading wreckage through the river.
“The helicopter had a nose slightly down, and I saw the propeller separating from him. She kept spinning alone in the air. CNN Affiliate WCBS.
A video obtained by CNN It shows the engine blades by loosening from the helicopter and flying.
Family and pilot died
Among the victims is Agustín Escobar, 49, executive of Siemens, and his family. New York Mayor Eric Adams said they were visiting the city from Spain.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter accident in which Agustín Escobar and his family have lost their lives. Our sincere condolences to all their loved ones,” a Siemens Mobility spokesman said in a statement to a statement to CNN .
Escobar acted as CEO of Siemens Mobility railway infrastructure in Spain, the Siemens Transport Solutions Division.
“Our hearts are with the family of those on board,” Adams said during a press conference.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences, calling the event “an unimaginable tragedy.”
Las News that Hoy in the Llegan del Citudent of helicopter in the Río Hudson Son devastating.
Five Spaces of Una Misma Familia, three of Elos Niños, y El Piloto Han Lost Life. UNA TRAGEDIA UNIMAGINABLE.
Accompanying in the dolor to los alleges de las victims in this…
– Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) April 10, 2025
The pilot also died, although authorities have not yet disclosed his identity.
THE CNN Contact the New York Police Department and the US coastal guard for more information about the victims.
The accident
The cause of the accident remains obscure, but its sudden fall surprised witnesses as the rescuers ran to rescue the victims.
The helicopter took off at 2:59 pm from the Manhattan Center Helipon, following a popular tourist route, New York Police Department commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
After surrounding the statue of freedom, he flew north along the Hudson River, reaching the George Washington bridge at 3:08 pm.
Then he turned south along the New Jersey coast, where he lost control shortly thereafter, continued.
The visibility at that time was 16 km, although the region was cloudy, with winds of 16 to 24 km/he gusts up to 40 km/h.
A weather system should bring light rain in the late afternoon.
At 3:17 pm, several calls to 911 reported an accident near Pier A Park in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Witnesses reported that the helicopter seemed to stop in the air before it broke into pieces, consistent with the preliminary emergency reports, he explained.
New York Police rescuers and the Fire Department removed six people from the water.
Four victims were declared dead on the spot and two others succumbed to the injuries soon after, said Tisch.
Two children were transported to the Jersey City medical center, where they were later declared dead, Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop said.
Terrible situation with crash of a tourist Helicopter in the Hudson. Family from Spain. All 6 Passangers Now Confermed as Deceansed. Jersey City Continues to Be the Lead On Investigation Till We Pass to NTSB. The Two Juvenles Were Taken To the JCMC and Both Pronounced A Short…
– Steven Fulop (@stevenfulop) April 10, 2025
The main aircraft’s fuselage was recovered from Rio on Thursday night (10), although authorities announced that diving operations will continue on Friday (11), WCBS said.
Previous security accidents
The helicopter company has been involved in two security cases investigated by the federal aviation authorities.
In 2015, a New York Helicopter Charter pilot was forced to land in New Jersey after moving 6 meters high for a short time.
An initial inspection has shown that “corrosion removal” from helicopter parts and some helicopter components may have been deformed to the point of being “considered disagreed,” according to an inspector of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA in English) at the time.
The same helicopter was involved in an accident in Chile in 2010.
In 2013, a company pilot was forced to land a four -passenger aircraft in the water near Manhattan after hearing a “bangs” followed by a “engine -turned sound alert.”
The pilot inflated the floats of the helicopter and rescued the passengers safely on a coming boat.
“The only thing I can say is that we are devastated,” explained Michael Roth, CEO of the company that operates the flight, CNN About Thursday’s accident. “I’m a father, grandfather and my wife hasn’t stopped crying since this afternoon.”
When asked about maintaining the helicopter, he replied, “This is something my maintenance director takes care.” The maintenance director declined to comment.
Maintenance records are not accessible to the public, and NTSB restricts what companies can disclose during a research investigation.
Aircraft details: a model with troubled history
The helicopter, a Bell 206L-4 Longranger IV, was built in 2004 and had an aircraft certificate issued in 2016, valid until 2029, according to FAA records.
Maintenance records are not public and, during investigations, the rules of the National Transport Security Council (NTSB) prohibit companies to disclose certain information related to the accident.
The investigation into the cause of the accident will analyze the documentation of all the work done in the aircraft. This would include the compliance of the company with two recently issued Aeronavability Guidelines by FAA.
A May 2023 directive required the test and possible replacement of tail rotor transmission axes in eight different Bell 206L models, including 206L-4.
This directive was motivated by an incident in which a Bell 206L helicopter suffered the loss of a tail rotor transmission axis due to a flaw in the joint.
FAA also issued an aircraft directive in December 2022 for the Bell 206L models, with specific parts that required inspection and possible replacement of the main rotor of the helicopters due to “delamination”.
This refers to the separation of layers in the shovel due to the fatigue of the material, damage (by collisions with birds, for example) or manufacturing errors, which could lead to the rotor’s shovel failure.
It is still unclear whether any of these problems had any role in Thursday’s accident.
Investigation ongoing
Both FAA and NTSB are investigating the accident.
NTSB sent a team to the site to examine the wreckage and review maintenance records, he said on social networks.
The helicopter was flying in the New York Special Flight Rules area, where air traffic control support is limited, transport secretary Sean Duffy said in an X publication.
We Pray for the Victims and Their Families.
Here’s what we know:
The Tour Helicopter Was in the Special Flight Rules Area Established in New York Which Means No Air Traffic Control Services Were Being Provided When the Helicopter Crashed. Several Minutes Prior to entering the… https://t.co/aq4vsreoj
– Secretary Sean Duffy (@secduffy) April 11, 2025
Duffy added that the helicopter received Air Traffic Assistance from Larguardia Airport shortly before entering the unstructured area.
This content was originally published in The Known About the Helicopter Fall that killed six people in the US on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
