NYC helicopter crash: What we know about the birthday flight tragedy

A tragic sightseeing tour over Manhattan turned fatal Thursday (April 10) when a helicopter carrying a family of five from Spain and their pilot crashed into the Hudson River. The family was in New York celebrating the mother’s 40th birthday when their helicopter lost control mid-air and plummeted into the water near Hoboken, New Jersey, mere minutes after takeoff.

The victims have been identified as Agustín Escobar, 49; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal; and their three children, ages 4, 5 and 11. Escobar was a rail infrastructure executive at Siemens Mobility, while Camprubí worked as a global commercialization manager at Siemens Energy. Both were longtime professionals with the German tech conglomerate. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash... Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones,” CEO Roland Busch wrote in a statement. The pilot, whose identity was not yet released, was also killed.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop revealed to PIX 11 that the family had flown in for a business trip before turning it into a brief vacation. “Take a moment today + think about this family + your family,” he wrote on social media. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also mourned the loss, calling it an “unimaginable tragedy.”

Crash witnesses reported in-flight failure before impact

The aircraft, which departed from the Wall Street heliport, followed a popular route past the Statue of Liberty and along the Hudson before abruptly losing control. Witnesses described a harrowing scene, including the tail detaching and rotor blades flying off before the chopper spiraled into the river. Cellphone videos confirmed the mid-air disintegration.

Rescue crews pulled six people from the water. Four were pronounced dead at the scene, while two children died later at Jersey City Medical Center. The wreckage was recovered Thursday evening, though dive teams plan to continue searching the crash site.

Operator's history and aircraft safety under scrutiny

According to CNN, the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV was built in 2004 and held an airworthiness certificate through 2029. However, it was subject to recent FAA airworthiness directives, including mandatory checks on its tail rotor drive shaft and main rotor blades due to known risks of delamination and component failure. New York Helicopter, the company behind the tour, was linked to two prior safety incidents in 2013 and 2015, one involving a hard landing blamed on faulty parts.

CEO Michael Roth told the outlet, “The only thing I can tell you is that we are devastated. I’m a father, a grandfather and my wife hasn’t stopped crying since this afternoon.” When asked about the helicopter’s maintenance, Roth pointed to his director of maintenance, who declined to comment.

Federal authorities begin deep-dive investigation

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched full investigations. The NTSB dispatched a “go-team” to examine the wreckage, review maintenance records and analyze whether previous safety directives were followed. The crash took place in New York’s Special Flight Rules Area, a space with limited air traffic control support. According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the helicopter had been in contact with LaGuardia Airport before entering the uncontrolled zone.