A tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River, USA, claimed the lives of a Spanish family of five and the pilot. The incident occurred on 10 April near Jersey City when the aircraft, a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, broke apart mid-air and plunged into the river. Authorities are continuing efforts to retrieve the wreckage from the water. At the time of writing, no clear cause has been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.
“No onboard video recorders or camera recorders have been recovered and none of the helicopter avionics onboard recorded information that could be used for the investigation,” said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The last major inspection of the helicopter was conducted on 1 March. On the day of the crash, 10 April, the aircraft had completed seven flights. The crash occurred during its eighth flight of the day. Parts of the helicopter, including the cockpit, cabin, horizontal stabiliser finlets, and other components, have been recovered. Some of these elements are being sent to Washington D.C. for further analysis, according to the NTSB.
Authorities confirmed that the passengers were a Spanish family: Agustin Escobar, 49; his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, 39; and their three children, aged 4, 8, and 10. Escobar held a senior leadership role at Siemens, serving as CEO of rail infrastructure within the Siemens Mobility Division. He had previously served as CEO and president of Siemens Spain, according to a statement from the company.
The helicopter tour was reportedly a birthday celebration for Montal, who was turning 40 at the time. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop stated that Escobar was in the US on a business trip and his family had joined him for a short holiday.
This is heartbreaking.
— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) April 11, 2025
Earlier on, recovery efforts by the first responders.#HudsonRiver #HelicopterCrash #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/tI0sWGUjZM
Pilot was experienced and recently certified
The pilot was identified as Seankese Johnson, 36, a former Navy SEAL. According to the NTSB, he had logged 788 flight hours. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicate that he obtained his commercial helicopter pilot certificate in August 2023.
According to witnesses, there had been a loud noise sounding like something breaking and an engine stopping. Video footage shows the disintegration of the chopper and its fall into the water. Its rotor blades detached and sank separately.
The main rotor and tail boom separated mid-air. Rotor blades were fully detached from the fuselage but continued spinning as they fell.#HudsonRiver #HelicopterCrash #Breaking pic.twitter.com/xrMUQ5SMRr
— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) April 10, 2025
Officials said that the helicopter was run by the tour operator New York Helicopters. CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, Michael Roth, said: “He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about 3 minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive.”
The company has suspended operations pending investigation. The FAA launched an examination of the license and safety record of New York Helicopter Tours, adding that they will support the NTSB’s inspection.
