Six individuals lost their lives when a tourist helicopter plunged into the Hudson River close to Lower Manhattan on Thursday afternoon, as reported by authorities.
Agustín Escobar, who headed up infrastructure at the tech firm Siemens, along with his spouse and their three offspring, were rescued from either the icy river or a downed helicopter; tragically, everyone involved did not survive.
It is reported that the helicopter disintegrated in the air and crashed upside down in the river located between Manhattan and New Jersey.
Witness Bruce Wall stated that he observed the helicopter disintegrating mid-air, with the tail and propeller detaching. He mentioned that even after separating from the craft, the propeller continued to spin as it plummeted down.
Lesly Camacho, who works as a hostess at a riverside restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey, mentioned that she witnessed the helicopter spinning out of control prior to it crashing into the water.
"There was a lot of smoke billowing out. It was rotating quite rapidly, and it hit the water with a significant impact," she mentioned during a telephone conversation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) determined that the involved helicopter was a seven-passenger, single-engine Bell 206. Footage shared on social platforms displayed pieces of the chopper plunging into the water, along with the upside-down aircraft underwater surrounded by rescue vessels.
Both the NTSB and the FAA have stated they will look into the incident.
Planes and helicopters frequently fill the sky above Manhattan, including various types of private leisure crafts as well as commercial and touristic flights. The island boasts multiple helipads designed for transporting corporate leaders and individuals to different points within the broader urban region.
Throughout the years, numerous accidents have occurred, such as the 2009 incident where a plane collided with a sightseeing helicopter above the Hudson River, resulting in nine fatalities. Another tragic event was the 2018 crash of a chartered open-door flight helicopter which plummeted into the East River, claiming the lives of five individuals.
The most recent major air accident in the United States occurred at the end of January when an American Airlines aircraft crashed into a helicopter during landing approach near Washington, resulting in the deaths of all 67 individuals onboard.
Recent plane crashes and near misses in the US have caused widespread concern over air travel safety, prompting demands for stricter regulations and enhanced safety measures to reduce and prevent deadly incidents.