Helicopter Crash into the Hudson River in New York

On April 10th, 2025 a tourist helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City, killing five Spanish tourists and the pilot. The helicopter broke apart midair and fell into the Hudson upside-down. The crash occurred on the New Jersey shoreline where local police and the fire department rushed to the scene in attempt to find survivors of the crash.

Spanish family of 5 who was killed

On board the helicopter was a family of five from Spain. The family consists of two adults, Agustín Escobar and his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, who were both executives at Siemens, a German industrial company, and also three kids, two sons, ages four and 11, and one daughter who would have turned nine on April 11. The family was traveling for the wife's 40th birthday and the daughter’s 9th birthday.

With the investigation into the event still active, not a lot of information about it is available. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the causes of the crash. The NTSB is leading the investigation and claimed that the helicopter experienced maintenance issues and lost control in the air. Another source, Justin Green, an aviation lawyer who was previously a marine corps helicopter pilot, suggested that the cause of the crash was “catastrophic mechanical failure” and pieces of the helicopter broke off midair and flipped upside down while plunging to the water. 

The flight path of the helicopter

           According to New York Police Commissioner, Jessica Ticsh, the helicopter departed from the Downtown Skyport on the lower side of Manhattan at 2:49pm, and according to the flight-tracking website the helicopter was in the air for about 15 minutes. The flight went towards the Statue of Liberty, then went all the way up to the George Washington Bridge. They then circled back until the helicopter plunged into the Hudson near the Jersey Shoreline. 

Cranes pulling out helicopter debris

As soon as the helicopter crashed, at 3:17pm, multiple 911 calls came in, reporting the crash. Both the fire department and local police from New York and New Jersey were on scene. The NYPD police commissioner said when first responders arrived pulled out four people from the water, and the FDNY pulled out two kids. Four people were declared dead at the scene and the two others were taken to New Jersey Medical Center before being pronounced dead. Divers from the NYPD and the New Jersey Emergency Management found debris from the helicopter including the roof, the main rotor, and the cockpit and the cabin. Parts like the tail motor, gearbox, and the tail broom are still missing. According to the NTSB, the helicopter didn't have a flight data recorder, “black box."

Due to the commotion caused by the crash, there were many witnesses to the event. A witness, Bruce Wall, said the helicopter was “falling apart” in midair, with the back of the helicopter spinning off as it fell. Another witness who worked at a bar near the crash site, Lesley Camacho, reported that there was “so much smoke coming out” as it was falling into the water.