A sightseeing helicopter carrying a top Siemens Mobility executive, his wife, three children, and a pilot crashed into the Hudson River Thursday afternoon, killing all six aboard and prompting a federal investigation into the aircraft's safety history and maintenance compliance.
Agustin Escobar, 49, CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, was confirmed among the victims, along with his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, aged 4, 5, and 11. The helicopter, a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV operated by New York Helicopter, went down shortly after 3:15 p.m., about 16 minutes into a standard sightseeing route around Manhattan.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives," a Siemens spokesperson stated. New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the family was visiting from Spain. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the accident "an unimaginable tragedy."
Four passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others died at area hospitals, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The pilot, a 36-year-old man whose name has not been released, was also killed.
Witnesses described a catastrophic failure in midair. "I saw the propeller separating from the helicopter. It kept spinning in the air alone," said Sarah Jane Raymond Ryer. A video obtained by CNN appeared to show detached rotor blades spinning away from the aircraft, which ultimately struck the river inverted.
The crash occurred near Pier A Park along the New Jersey shoreline. "It felt like thunder," said Ipsitaa Banigrhi, a local resident. "Then I saw black particles flying. Again, I thought it was dust or birds."
The helicopter took off from Manhattan's downtown heliport at 2:59 p.m., circled the Statue of Liberty, and was returning south along the Hudson after reaching the George Washington Bridge. Visibility was 10 miles at the time, with southeast winds of 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. The aircraft's main body was recovered Thursday evening, and dive operations resumed Friday.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating. The helicopter was flying within New York's Special Flight Rules Area, a zone with limited air traffic control. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said the aircraft had received ATC assistance from LaGuardia before entering the uncontrolled zone.
Federal records show the 2004-built Bell 206L-4 held an airworthiness certificate issued in 2016 and valid through 2029. The model is under two recent FAA airworthiness directives. One, issued in May 2023, concerns tail rotor drive shafts; another from December 2022 mandates inspections of main rotor blades for potential delamination. It is unclear whether these issues contributed to the crash.
New York Helicopter has previously faced scrutiny. In 2015, the FAA investigated after a pilot hovered mid-air and was forced to land. Inspectors found potential corrosion and deformation on the aircraft. In 2013, a separate helicopter operated by the company made an emergency water landing after a reported engine failure.
"The only thing I can tell you is that we are devastated," Michael Roth, the company's CEO, told CNN. "My wife hasn't stopped crying since this afternoon." When asked about maintenance procedures, Roth said, "That's something my director of maintenance handles."
Dive crews and federal investigators will continue to examine the helicopter's wreckage and maintenance records. Under NTSB protocols, the company is restricted from releasing certain details while the investigation is ongoing.
