Hudson Helicopter crash newest: Chopper broke aside earlier than nose-diving into river killing household and Siemens govt
The witnesses of a fatal helicopter crash in New York City’s Hudson River have described the chopper breaking apart in mid-air before nosediving into the river in a “loud crash”.
All six people on board the helicopter died, mayor Eric Adams confirmed on Thursday. Divers retrieved four bodies from the river, two of whom were alive and rushed to nearby hospitals before dying from their injuries.
Witness Bruce Wall, 28, recalled seeing the helicopter “falling apart probably 15 feet before it actually fell and then the tail whipped off”.
The Jersey City resident described the sound of “something breaking apart in mid-air,” according to New York Times. “The helicopter was still pretty loud and then just a loud, loud crash into water.”
An unnamed woman said in quotes broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the “helicopter was a little bit nose down slightly, it kept spinning in the air”.
A Spanish family of two adults and three children and the helicopter’s pilot were identified by authorities as the victims. AP has now named the victims as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, a global manager at an energy technology company, and their three children.
President Donald Trump has offered his condolences and the National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation.
Where did the helicopter crash?
Despite early reports that the crash had occurred toward the Manhattan side of the Hudson River, the helicopter actually crashed just south of Hoboken as it approached Jersey City on the New Jersey side of the river.
The Bell 206 helicopter took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m., headed toward the Statue of Liberty, before flying north along Manhattan up the river to the George Washington Bridge before turning south.
It went off the radar at 3:15 p.m.
Witnesses describe helicopter ‘breaking apart in mid-air’ before nosediving
Witnesses have described seeing the plane “breaking apart in mid-air” before nosediving into the water below.
Bruce Wall, a 28-year-old Jersey City resident, said: “It was falling apart probably 15 feet before it actually fell and then the tail whipped off and the propeller fell while it was falling.
“Like a boom sound when it hit, it was a crackling sound I guess you could say, something breaking apart in mid-air,” he added according to New York Times.
“The helicopter was still pretty loud and then just a loud, loud crash into water.”
An unnamed woman said in quotes heard on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “One of the propellers broke, the other one just flew. Basically, the helicopter was a little bit nose down slightly, it kept spinning in the air. The helicopter just fell.”
A history of helicopter accidents in New York City
At least 38 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York City since 1977, when an accident on a skyscraper landing pad led the city to start putting restrictions on where choppers could land.
Helicopter flights are getting renewed scrutiny after a fatal crash into the Hudson River on Thursday.
Here’s a look at similar accidents over the years:
We have FDNY assets right up the road here, and we launched our boats immediately. This operation was a joint operation between the FDNY and the NYPD. Our rescue swimmers were in the water shortly after the call and recovered some of the victims. We worked very closely with the NYPD divers on this and I think this tragic day does indicate just how the spirit of cooperation between the NYPD and the FDNY is alive on the streets and in the water.
Trump offers condolences to families of victims
President Donald Trump has expressed his condolences to the family and friends of the victims and stated that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his department are investigating the case.
The president wrote on Truth Social:
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!
I watched it fall out of the sky! I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.
Helicopter owner ‘absolutely devastated’ by tragedy
The owner of the tourist helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River this afternoon, killing all six people on board, including a family from Spain, told The New York Post he’s “devastated.”
“It’s devastation,” New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth said. “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,” a visibly shaken Roth said. “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.”
Spanish family of five identified as victims of tragedy
The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, a global manager at an energy technology company, and their three children, in addition to the pilot, a person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press.
The person could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Photos posted on the helicopter company’s website showed the couple and their children smiling as they boarded just before the flight took off.
Source: independent.co.uk
