Donald Trump has declared there will be information ‘shortly’ on how six people were killed in the Hudson River when a New York City sightseeing helicopter crashed just 16 minutes after taking off.

Spanish tech boss Agustín Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children, aged four, five and 11, were killed in the crash, along with the 36-year-old pilot.

The horrific incident unfolded just before 3.30pm on Thursday, closer to the New Jersey side of the river. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said divers will scour the water on Friday morning with major parts of the aircraft yet to be salvaged.

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Writing on his Truth Social platform, President Trump said late last night: ‘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!’

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New York tourist helicopter crashes into the Hudson River

If you’re just joining us this morning, we are reporting live updates on the fatal helicopter crash in New York City yesterday when the aircraft crashed into the Hudson River just 16 minutes after taking off on a sightseeing tour.

Troubled past of helicopter company behind NYC crash that killed six

The helicopter company involved in Thursday’s fatal Hudson River crash has been plagued by near-misses in the past – including an eerily similar crash landing in the same waters 12 years earlier.

The chopper involved in the crash was a N216MH Bell 206L-4 which had been leased from Louisiana-based company Meridian Helicopters.

In 2013, one of the tour company’s helicopters was forced to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River after it lost power in eerily similar circumstances to Thursday’s tragedy.

Troubled past of helicopter company behind NYC crash that killed six
Horrified onlookers in New York and New Jersey watched as the aircraft, operated by local tour company New York Helicopter Charters, split apart in the sky and spiraled into the river.

Who is investigating the fatal helicopter crash?

The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed it is investigating the helicopter crash alongside the National Transportation Safety Board.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the NTSB will lead the investigation with President Donald Trump declaring announcements relating to how and why the aircraft crashed would be made ‘shortly’.

In a post on X, Secretary Duffy explained no air traffic control services were provided to the helicopter before the crash as it was in a Special Flight Rules Area.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the New York Police Department and New Jersey State Police will resume dive operations on Friday morning with major parts of the aircraft yet to be salvaged.

Everything we know about the helicopter that crashed in the Hudson

The helicopter has been identified as a Bell 206

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the helicopter which crashed into the Hudson River as a Bell 206.

It was built in 2004 and had an airworthiness certificate issued in 2016 that was good until 2029, according to FAA records.

The model is 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 aircraft was operated by New York Helicopter, a local tour company.

A person who answered the phone at the home of the company’s owner, Michael Roth, said he declined to comment. Roth told the New York Post 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.’

New York’s history of fatal helicopter crashes

Helicopter parts are recovered from the Hudson River

At least 38 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York City since 1977.

A collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson in 2009 killed nine people, and five died in 2018 when a charter helicopter offering “open door” flights went down into the East River.

New York Helicopters also owned a Bell 206 that lost power and made an emergency landing on the Hudson during a sightseeing tour in June 2013.

The pilot managed to land safely, and he and the passengers – a family of four Swedes – were uninjured. The National Transportation Safety Board found that a maintenance flub and an engine lubrication anomaly led to the power cutoff.

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.

The accidents – and the noise caused by helicopters – have repeatedly led some community activists and officials to propose banning or restricting traffic at Manhattan heliports.

Graphic: Doomed helicopter’s 16 minute journey before crashing in the Hudson

The helicopter flew for approximately 16 minutes before going down into the water.

It took off from the Wall Street Heliport and did a circle near the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge at about 1,000ft.

Investigators say it is too early to say what may have caused the crash as recovery work continues.

Here is our graphic showing the helicopter’s doomed flight:

What we know about Spanish couple killed alongside their three children

Spanish tech boss Agustín Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children, aged four, five and 11, were killed in the crash, along with the 36-year-old pilot.

Escobar worked for the tech company Siemens for more than 27 years, most recently as global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, according to his LinkedIn account. In late 2022 he briefly became president and CEO of Siemens Spain.

In a post about the position, he thanked his family:’my endless source of energy and happiness, for their unconditional support, love … and patience.’

Escobar regularly posted about the importance of sustainability in the rail industry and often traveled internationally for work, including journeying to India and the UK in the past month.

He also was vice president of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain since 2023.

Camprubí Montal worked in Barcelona, Spain, for energy technology company Siemens Energy for about seven years, including as its global commercialization manager and as a digitalization manager, according to her LinkedIn account.

Spanish family posed for pictures minutes before fatal crash

Heartbreaking photos showed the Spanish family killed in the Hudson River helicopter crash grinning from ear to ear as they prepared to board the chopper and tour the city skies.

Agustín Escobar, the president of the Spanish branch of the technology company Siemens, and his family had only arrived in the city earlier in the day on Thursday before the fatal crash that very afternoon.

Escobar and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children – aged four, five, and 11 years old – were all killed in the tragic crash alongside the pilot, aged 36.

The young children sat on board the chopper, one with a thumbs up like his dad who was sat opposite him, while Escobar’s wife laughed next to their youngest child.

Another of their children was seen strapped in front of the helicopter next to the pilot, smiling in another picture.

The helicopter was only in the air for 16 minutes after it took off from the Wall Street Heliport and circled near the Statue of Liberty before it plunged into the water.

Aviation experts speculate on cause of crash

Aviation experts have started to speculat on what may have caused the helicopter to tumble into the Hudson River on Thursday.

FOX 5 NY’s meteorologist and certified pilot Nick Gregory, for example, said it appears the rotor blades separated from the aircraft, which meant that ‘there’s no way to maintain any lift’ rendering the pilot powerless.

Once the blades detached ‘it took out the tail, the tail rotor’ leaving the pilot with no control over the aircraft because in this case ‘there’s no power at all, no way to be able to control the situation.’

Family killed in Hudson River helicopter crash had only arrived in NYC the same day as doomed flight

The family onboard a helicopter that plummeted into the Hudson River had only arrived in New York City on the same day they were killed.

Agustín Escobar, the president of the Spanish branch of the technology company Siemens, and his family had only arrived in the city earlier in the day on Thursday before the fatal crash that very afternoon.

Escobar and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children – aged four, five, and 11 years old – were all killed in the tragic crash alongside the pilot, aged 36.

Tragic detail about family killed in Hudson River helicopter crash
Agustín Escobar and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children – aged four, five, and 11 years old – were all killed in the tragic crash with the pilot, aged 36.

New York City congressman declares crash was ‘foreseeable’

Rep. Jerry Nadler, who represents the west and east sides of Manhattan, claimed on X that the helicopter crash ‘was not only devastating – it was foreseseeable.

‘For years, I have raised concerns about the dangers posed by non-essential helicopter flights over our city’s densely populated neighborhoods and congested airspace,’ he said.

‘One of the busiest skies in the nation remains largely unregulated, governed by outdated visual flight rules and minimal oversight. This is unacceptable,’ he continued.

‘The [Federal Aviation Administration] must act immediately to prevent further loss of life.’

Recovery operations to stretch into Friday

Recovery operations to salvage the rest of the wreckage from the doomed helicopter will continue on Friday, the Jersey City mayor announced.

Mayor Steven Fulop explained in a post on X that major parts of the aircraft have not yet been recovered, so dive teams will scour the Hudson River for the parts on Friday.

He also said the National Transportation Safety Board is responding to the scene ‘and should have a complete response by tomorrow.’

An executive from Siemens, where Agustin Escobar served as a president, is also flying in to Jersey City, Fulop added.

‘We will liaison with him and help the families with the necessary steps to bring their loved ones home,’ he sai

Helicopter wreckage pulled from the water

Emergency responders were seen late Thursday night removing parts of the destroyed helicopter from the Hudson River.

Photos showed a crane lifting wreckage of the mangled chopper from the murky water after night had fallen.

Images appeared to show the remains of the battered cockpit with landing skids in full view.

The distorted remnants hung from the crane in front of the bright lights of Jersey City.

Spanish prime minister calls crash ‘devastating’

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called news of the helicopter crash, which killed a Spanish family of five, ‘devastating.’

He also said their losses were an ‘unimaginable tragedy.’

‘I share in the grief of the victims’ loved ones at this heartbreaking time,’ Sanchez wrote.

Jersey City mayor says airspace is too crowded

In a scathing post on X, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop claimed that the federal government has allowed the airspace in the area to become too overcrowded.

‘This has been an issue we have pushed at the federal level for a decade with no response,’ he claimed.

‘This is not the first crash that has happened, and the reality is that the airspace here is too crowded above a densely populated area to allow this.’

‘These tourist helicopters should not be allowed and hopefully this terrible tragedy brings some change so that it will never happen again to any other family,’ he declared.

Helicopter was returning for fuel when it crashed

Michael Roth, 71, the owner of the doomed helicopter, told The Telegraph Thursday evening that it was returning for fuel when it crashed into the Hudson.

‘He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,’ he said.

Roth added that ‘every employee in our company is devastated’ and said his ‘wife has not stopped crying.

‘I got a call from my manager and my downtown heliport and she said she heard there was a crash, and then my phone blew up from everybody,’ he recounted

NYC helicopter pilot’s chilling radio call before plunging into river
The pilot of the tour helicopter that crashed into New York City ‘s Hudson River and killed a Spanish family of five warned that they were out of fuel just before the tragedy.
Mail Online

Cory Booker says he is ‘monitoring’ the situation

Sen. Cory Booker, who represents New Jersey – where the helicopter crashed on Thursday, has spoken out about the devastating crash.

‘Heartbroken for the victims of the helicopter crash in the Hudson River,’ he posted on X.

‘My office is closely monitoring this situation and has been in touch with local and federal authorities.’

He added that he is ‘grateful for the swift action by emergency responders.’

NTSB team to arrive on the scene

The National Transportation Safety Board has announced it launched a ‘go team.’

The team is expected to arrive sometime Thursday night to investigate the crash of the Bell 206 L-4 helicopter, the agency wrote on social media.

Family seen smiling ahead of helicopter crash

Augustin Escobar was pictured embracing his wife and their two daughters in front of the New York Helicopter Tours chopper.

It then took off from lower Manhattan, then traveled north along the Hudson River.

The helicopter crashed as it was on its way back to south.

Five victims of helicopter crash identified

Agustín Escobar, the president of the Spanish branch of the technology company Siemens, and his wife and three children were killed in the crash, the New York Times reported.

Law enforcement officials confirmed to the outlet that the executive and his family were onboard the tour helicopter.

Images show helicopter debris floating in Hudson River

Devastating photos show debris from the helicopter tour floating in the Hudson River near Jersey City, New Jersey.

In the photos, a girl’s shoe is clearly visible, as is a canteen.

Machine parts and diagrams were also seen floating in the murky water.

Authorities announced Thursday evening that the victims in the crash included Siemens Spain President Agustín Escobar, his wife and their three kids.

It appears from the photos some of thier belongings landed in the Hudson River following the crash, with a girls’ bright pink slipper and accessory standing out in the dark water.

President Donald Trump issues statement on New York helicopter crash

Donald Trump sent his condolences to the families of the victims in Thursday’s crash.

‘Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. Looks like six people, the pilot, two adults, and three children, are no longer with us,’ he said on Truth Social.

‘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!’

Map of horrific Hudson River helicopter crash

Crews work to recover helicopter from Hudson River

As of 5:15 p.m., rescue efforts appeared to have concluded, and officials are focused on recovering parts of the aircraft, reported Fox 5.

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 said.

Divers rush to examine upside down helicopter in the Hudson River

Cloudy conditions at the time of terrifying helicopter crash

At the time of the crash, it was cloudy with winds around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph, CNN reported.

Surface visibility was considered good — 10 miles — but it was cloudy as a system is moving into the region, bringing light rain to the region this afternoon and evening.

Moment helicopter rotor flies off and splashes into NY’s Hudson River

New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth addresses crash

The aircraft carrying a family of five and a pilot was operated by New York Helicopter, a local tour company.

New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth told the New York Post, ‘It’s devastation.’

‘I’m a father and a grandfather and to have children on there, I’m devastated. I’m absolutely devastated.’

‘The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter. And I haven’t seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business.

‘The only thing I could guess – I got no clue – is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I have no clue. I don’t know.

‘This is horrific, but you gotta remember something, these are machines and they break.’