A family of five visiting from Spain and the pilot were killed when what was destined to be a Joyride helicopter about Manhattan to celebrate a birthday became a tragedy on Thursday afternoon.
During the night, the authorities worked to recover the remains of the murky depths of the waters, since questions remain about what caused the clash in which the helicopter seemed to break suddenly in the air and dive into the Hudson River.
This is what we know so far:
The accident
The Bell 206 Tourism Helicopter started from a Wall Street heliport at 2:59 pm on Thursday, it flew south, then turned to fly north along the Manhattan coast along the Hudson River.
At 3:08 pm, the helicopter arrived at the George Washington bridge, then turned to fly south along the New Jersey coast. Shortly after, the “plane lost control and hit the water just a few meters from the coast of the dock, a park in Hoboken,” the New York City Police Commissioner, Jessica Tisch, on a press conference on Thursday.
Around 3:17 pm, 911 calls came to inform a helicopter accident on the Hudson River near the New Jersey coast, off the coast of Hoboken.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference on Thursday that the six victims, including three children, were taken from the water and declared themselves dead.
The video images of the shock showed the moment when the helicopter seemed to break and fall invested in the Hudson. The helicopter rotor shovels fell into the water separately.
Witnesses informed having heard a strong noise that remembers something that breaks and the engine failure.
The authorities said the helicopter was operated by the Tour New York Helicopters company.
Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, told The Telegraph that the pilot had said he needed fuel before the accident.
“He [the pilot] He called that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and he should have taken about 3 minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he did not arrive, “Roth told the newspaper, adding:” We are all devastated. “
Skyport, one of the companies that manage the helipad from where the helicopter left, told NBC News: “We are deeply sad for the tragedy in the Hudson River today that involves the New York helicopter, a company that operates outside our facilities.”
“Our hearts are with the families and friends of all those affected by this horrible incident. We are cooperating with all the appropriate agencies and thank all the first to respond for their efforts,” added Skyport.
The victims
A married couple from Spain, Agustín Escobar and Merce Camprubi Montal, were identified as two of the adult victims who died in the accident.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the couple and their three children died in the helicopter accident.
Escobar was a senior executive of the German technology firm Siemens and was CEO of the railway infrastructure in its Siemens mobility division. Previously, it was the CEO and president of Siemens Spain, according to an announcement of the company.
“We are deeply sad for the tragic helicopter accident in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our most sincere condolences are with all their loved ones,” said a Siemens AG spokesman.
Montal was celebrating his 40th birthday at the time of the accident, said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, in X.
Fulop explained that Escobar was in the city for a business trip and his family flew to extend the trip and spend a couple of days in New York City. He said the family took the tourist flight in honor of Montal’s birthday, along with the children, who were 11 years old and less.
It is believed that the third adult victim is the pilot.
The investigation
The National Transportation Board is leading the investigation into the accident. Your cause is not clear immediately.
A recovery effort was made on Thursday to Friday to take pieces from the river’s demolished helicopter. The main body of the plane was recovered, Fulop said in X.
NBC Aviation analyst Jeff Guzzetti said in the “Today” program of NBC on Friday that the weather does not seem to be a factor, although there were some bursts and wind in the area.
“There was some kind of sudden failure on board that happened to the point that the pilot did not have the opportunity to make a forced landing or a call from Mayday, so something happened abruptly,” he said.
“We are seeing some type of hardware problem that might have been caused by an inappropriate pilot response, which could have been caused by something like a bird strike. We still don’t know it,” he said.
Guzzetti said the incident has the marks of mast blows, when the rotor’s cube hits the mast of the main rotor, but the remains must be combed to confirm.
