CEO claims helicopter was heading back for refueling before crashing into Hudson River

A helicopter carrying sightseers crashed into the Hudson River in New York, resulting in the deaths of all six people on board. The victims included a family of five tourists from Spain: Agustin Escobar, who was the worldwide CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility; his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, a global commercialization manager for Siemens Energy; and their three children, ages four, eight, and 10.

Tragically, the eight-year-old child’s birthday was supposed to be the day after the crash, and the mother was celebrating her 40th birthday during their trip to New York City. The family was taking a sightseeing tour when the accident happened. The name of the pilot has not been released. Four of the victims died at the crash site, and the other two passed away later in the hospital, per NY Post.

The helicopter was a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, owned and operated by New York Helicopter Tours. The company’s CEO, Michael Roth, said that just minutes before the crash, the pilot had radioed the base to say he needed fuel and planned to land soon to refuel. The helicopter should have arrived within three minutes, but it never arrived.

Helicopter CEO claims the pilot intended to head back and refueld

Roth found out about the crash when an employee heard news reports of an accident, and another pilot later confirmed it was their helicopter after spotting the wreckage upside down in the river. Eyewitnesses and video recordings show that something went terribly wrong while the helicopter was still in the air. It seemed to break apart before plunging nose-first into the river near Pier 40, causing a huge splash.

People who saw it happen reported hearing a loud explosion-like noise and seeing pieces of the helicopter, including the main rotor blades, detach before it hit the water. The body of the helicopter landed upside down, while the separated rotor blades kept spinning for a moment before falling into the river.

Roth, who appeared deeply upset, spoke about how heartbreaking the situation was, especially as a father and grandfather himself. While he didn’t give a definite reason for the crash, he pointed out that the main rotor blades were missing in the videos, which could mean a bird strike or a mechanical failure caused them to break off. However, he stressed that this was just a guess, not a confirmed cause.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are looking into what caused the crash, including the pilot’s experience and whether there was a mechanical problem. Recovery teams pulled the main wreckage from the Hudson River on Thursday evening, and divers planned to go back on Friday to search for more parts. The Coast Guard set up a safety zone in the area, which briefly stopped boat traffic.

At the time of the crash, the weather was cloudy, with visibility around 10 miles and wind gusts up to 21 miles per hour. The water temperature was about 50 degrees. This isn’t the first time New York Helicopter Tours has had an accident in the Hudson River. In 2013, another Bell 206 helicopter owned by the company (which was then called New York Helicopter Charter) lost power and had to make an emergency landing in the same river. Fortunately, all five people on board survived without injuries in that case.

The current investigation will likely review all previous incidents and safety rules. Officials will examine every possible cause, including the pilot’s reported need for fuel, mechanical failures, and the chance of a bird strike. More information is expected as the investigation continues.