A New York City sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair Thursday and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists in the latest U.S. aviation disaster, officials said.
The flight departed a downtown heliport around 3 p.m. and lasted less than 18 minutes. Radar data showed it flew north along the Manhattan skyline and then back south toward the Statue of Liberty along the New Jersey shoreline
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Video of the crash showed parts of the aircraft tumbling through the air into the water near the shoreline of Jersey City, New Jersey. According to officials, the aircraft came down off the Newport neighborhood and close to the Holland Tunnel ventilation tower with its familiar structure on the edge of the river.
A witness there, Bruce Wall, said he saw it “falling apart” in midair, with the tail and propeller coming off. The propeller was still spinning without the helicopter as it fell.
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Dani Horbiak was at her Jersey City home when she heard what sounded like “several gunshots in a row, almost, in the air.” She looked out her window and saw the chopper "splash in several pieces into the river.”
Other neighbors described hearing a "thud" and seeing what looked like something hitting the helicopter.
U.S. & World
Recovery crews hoisted the mangled helicopter out of the water just after 8 p.m. using a floating crane.
The bodies were also recovered from the river, Mayor Eric Adams said. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others were taken to the hospital, where they "succumbed to their injuries," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters.
The victims include the pilot, a business executive, an adult relative and three children, officials said.
The mayor of Jersey City says recovery operations have ended for the night.
In a Mayor Steven Fulop says "major parts" of the helicopter remain in the Hudson River and dive operations would resume on Friday morning.
"Major parts of the aircraft have not been recovered so dive operations by the NYPD and NJSP will resume tomorrow morning. The pier is being secured by PA. The main body of the aircraft has been recovered and is in the army corps of engineers facility on Chapel Avenue. The JCPD is securing that location," the mayor posted.
Earlier in the evening, a News New York crew saw what appeared to be a seat from the wreckage floating in the river.
The flight was operated by New York Helicopters, officials said. No one answered the phones at the company’s offices in New York and New Jersey.
A person who answered the phone at the home of the company’s owner, Michael Roth, said he declined to comment. Emails seeking comment were sent by the AP to attorneys who have represented Roth in the past.
A person who answered the phone at the home of the company’s owner, Michael Roth, declined to comment. However Roth told he was devastated and had “no clue” why the crash happened.
“The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter,” the Post quoted him as saying. He added that he had not seen such a thing happen during his 30 years in the helicopter business, but noted: “These are machines, and they break.”
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the helicopter as a Bell 206, a model widely used in commercial and government aviation, including by sightseeing companies, TV news stations and police. It was initially developed for the U.S. Army before being adapted for other uses. Thousands have been manufactured over the years.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate and was sending a "go-team," which was expected to arrive sometime Thursday night.
The NTSB is launching a go-team to investigate Thursday’s crash of a Bell 206 L-4 helicopter near Jersey City, New Jersey.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom)
Chairman Jennifer Homendy will serve as spokesperson on scene. The team is expected to arrive tonight.
Thursday’s crash was the first for a helicopter in the city since one hit the roof of a skyscraper in 2019, killing the pilot.
Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, shared a statement on X, where he called today's crash an "unimaginable tragedy." His post, translated to English, reads:
"The news reaching us today of the helicopter crash in the Hudson River is devastating. Five Spaniards from the same family, three of them children, and the pilot have lost their lives. An unimaginable tragedy. I sympathize with the victims' loved ones at this heartbreaking time."
President Donald Trump promised more information soon on the crash.
"Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. Looks like six people, the pilot, two adults, and three children, are no longer with us. The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!," the president posted to Truth Social.
The Coast Guard closed part of the Hudson River to vessel access near the Jersey City Holland Tunnel ventilation tower.
