Spanish family of five, pilot killed as NYC helicopter crashes into Hudson river

A sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday, killing all six people on board — including a Spanish family of five and the pilot. The Bell 206 helicopter, operated by New York Helicopters, had just departed a Manhattan heliport and was in the air for less than 18 minutes before breaking apart mid-flight. (All photos credits- AP)

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter disintegrate as it flew near Jersey City. “I saw it falling apart, the tail and rotor came off mid-air,” said Bruce Wall, who also recorded the crash. The main rotor detached and continued spinning separately as the aircraft plunged into the Hudson near the Holland Tunnel.

Among the dead were Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal — a global manager at Siemens Energy — and their three children. Siemens called the loss “deeply saddening,” while Escobar’s LinkedIn remembered his family as his “endless source of energy and happiness.”

Emergency crews responded within minutes, with rescue boats and divers surrounding the submerged wreckage. New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the recovery of all six bodies. A floating crane later lifted the shattered helicopter from the water near Pier 40 as investigations began.

Aviation lawyer and ex-Marine pilot Justin Green said the helicopter likely suffered a catastrophic failure, possibly involving the rotor hitting the tail boom. “They were dead as soon as it happened… like a rock falling from the sky,” he noted, emphasizing that no pilot could have saved the aircraft in that state.

The crash adds to a grim history of helicopter incidents in New York, including deadly crashes in 2009 and 2018. New York Helicopters has also been involved in a previous Hudson River emergency landing. With this latest tragedy, renewed calls for stricter heliport regulations are likely to gain momentum.

Spanish officials expressed grief, with Catalan President Salvador Illa calling it a “tragic loss” and regional leader Emiliano García-Page mourning Escobar, a “Favorite Son” of Puertollano. As US aviation authorities investigate, the crash highlights ongoing global concerns over air safety and tour flight regulations.