A sightseeing helicopter tour ended in tragedy when it crashed into the Hudson River near the New Jersey shoreline, killing all six on board, including three children.
The helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter Charter, went down at around 3:17 p.m. after departing from Manhattan, shocking onlookers as it fell upside down into the river.
The victims included Agustín Escobar, a Siemens executive, and his family visiting from Spain, according to authorities.
Emergency responders recovered all six passengers from the water, but four were pronounced dead at the scene, and two children later died in the hospital.
Witnesses described debris falling and the aircraft spiraling before impact; officials believe it hit the water inverted.
The crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The aircraft, a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV built in 2004, had a valid airworthiness certificate but may have been subject to recent FAA maintenance directives.
Poor weather conditions with wind gusts and light rain may have contributed, but the exact cause remains unknown.
Spain’s Prime Minister and U.S. President Donald Trump expressed condolences, and the helicopter operator’s CEO said the company is devastated.
The helicopter flew for about 16 minutes along a popular sightseeing route before it lost control and crashed.
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