On Thursday, April 10, 2025, at around 3:17 p.m., a terrible helicopter crash happened over the Hudson River, between New York City and Jersey City. A family of five from Spain, along with the pilot, were on a sightseeing tour when the helicopter broke apart in the air and fell into the water. Sadly, all six people on board lost their lives.
The helicopter, a Bell 206 operated by New York Helicopter Tours LLC, had taken off from a helipad in downtown Manhattan at 2:59 p.m. It flew south near the Statue of Liberty, then north along Manhattan’s skyline to the George Washington Bridge, before turning south again. After about 18 minutes in the air, something went horribly wrong. Witnesses said the helicopter started spinning out of control. One person, Dani Horbiak, told ABC News she heard loud noises, like gunshots, and saw pieces of metal falling from the sky. Videos showed the helicopter’s main rotor blades and tail breaking off, causing it to flip upside down and crash into the river.
The passengers were Agustín Escobar, a top executive at Siemens, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three young children, aged 4, 8, and 10. The family was visiting New York to celebrate Mercè’s 40th birthday and their 8-year-old’s upcoming birthday. They had taken happy photos in front of the helicopter before the flight. The pilot, 36-year-old Sean Johnson, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran, also died in the crash.
Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, said the pilot had radioed that he was returning to the helipad to refuel, but never made it back. Roth shared that everyone at the company was heartbroken, saying, “My staff hasn’t stopped crying. The loss of a child, of any person, is a huge tragedy.”
Emergency teams from the New York Police Department, New York City Fire Department, New Jersey State Police, and others rushed to the scene. Divers found the helicopter upside down in the cold, 50-degree water. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others passed away at a hospital. By the evening, all six bodies were recovered, but parts of the helicopter, like the main rotor and tail, were still missing. Divers continued searching the river over the next few days, using sonar to find pieces of the wreckage.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation to find out why the crash happened. They’re looking at possibilities like mechanical problems, a bird strike, or even a drone, but it’s too early to know for sure. The helicopter didn’t have a flight recorder, which makes the investigation harder, but videos from witnesses are helping. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the city had worries about helicopter safety before and hopes this tragedy leads to better rules.
President Donald Trump shared his sadness on Truth Social, calling the crash “terrible” and promising that his team, led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, would soon share more details about what happened. New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also expressed their grief, with Sánchez calling it “an unimaginable tragedy.”
This heartbreaking event has left many people in New York, Spain, and beyond feeling sad for the family and the pilot. The investigation is ongoing, and everyone hopes answers will come soon to prevent something like this from happening again. You can share this story with your family and friends to let them know about this sad event.
